Nightshade: The Beginning
by Wolf Skinchanger
Summary: A new transformer has landed from Cybertron and joined the Beast Wars. But who is he? And how far will he go to find out? BW First Season. First in the Nightshade Saga.
1. Arrival

Disclaimer- All references to existing copyrights are used without permission. Don't bother suing me; your lawyer would cost more than I'd be able to pay when you won.

Nightshade's mine, but I'm willing to share if you tell me why you need him.

* * *

**-Personal Log: Entry #001-**

_After two lunar cycles of searching, I have located the alien transmission's time and planet of origin. I believe I can confirm our initial speculation that the planet in question is none other than Earth. The planetary coordinates and orbital path leave no other possibility. However, there are many inconsistencies between the Earth of this time and the Earth that I expected to find._

_The most prominent is a second moon, which holds a geosynchronous orbit. A thorough scan reveals it to be hollow, (See Attached for full scan results) but I can find no way inside. This suggests artificial construction. There is another artificial structure on the planet's surface, directly below the hollow moon. I believe it may be a shrine or temple, but no life-forms are nearby. As it currently has no relevance to this investigation, I will not give it another thought._

_Several small pods (See Attached) also orbit the planet, in a single-file line. Initial count yields fourteen, but their relative positions suggest that there may have been more of them at one time. Each is equipped with a long-term life support system, and each seems to have been built for life-forms of about my size. An exception to this is the pod at the trailing end, which is roughly twice the size of the others, and marked with a large "X"._

_My radar shows two ships on the planet's surface, both functional. I have transmitted Perceptor's scrambler program to both computer networks, and am now preparing the viral relay to hide myself from their scanners._

_It may be a coincidence, but one of the ships carries an energy signature very similar to that of my own ship, _Alpha Seven_. That is the ship I will approach, as soon as I find a nearby clear zone to touch down on. Normally, I'd pick somewhere away from prying eyes, but the large Energon deposits worry me._

_I will keep my recording device handy. If all goes well, I will update as often as I can with new information. If all does not go well, I will likely be terminated for attempting to infiltrate this ancient society._

* * *

It was in the dark of the night that the robot, as black as a living shadow, walked up to the belly of the _Axalon._ There was no trace of doubt on his cat-like face; whoever was in that fortress, they _had_ to know he was there. He only hoped they wouldn't turn him away, because if they did, then those lunar cycles of searching would mean nothing.

Besides, even with his field dampers at full power, the raw Energon was starting to get to him. He needed shelter, and if this kept up, he'd need repairs before long.

* * *

Rhinox frowned. He prided himself on being a master of computers, but he was having a hard time processing this encryption algorithm. It had hit the computer console without warning, just after sundown. And in only a few cycles, it had completely knocked out the scanners. Now, in the middle of the night, Rhinox was still going in circles, trying to get rid of the program, and get the scanners back online. Whoever had set this up had known what they were doing.

Then he stopped. Early warning was picking up an unidentified unit, directly beneath the ship. And--this could be bad--he had no beast shell to protect him against the Energon radiation.

Rhinox switched on the radio, setting it to broadcast two-way with the outside. "Unknown, state your name, function, and CPU ID."

The reply was swift. The speaker's voice was deep like his own, but had a purring sort of growl to it--like Dinobot's, but smoother, gentler. "My name is Nightshade, and I'm a scout unit. My CPU ID is RVG, version three point one."

* * *

"Tarantulas, report. What progress have you made?"

The spider flinched slightly at Megatron's words. "I'm trying, Megatron, but whatever it is that's knocked out the scanners, it's very different from anything else I have seen. It could take all night just to learn where it came from, and I _still_ wouldn't know how to get past it."

"I will not accept excuses, Tarantulas. No. The scanners _must_ be repaired, or the Maximals will regain control of the remaining stasis pods. Yes. Fix it! _Now!_"

* * *

Nightshade had barely finished talking before Rhinox checked the info against the ship's database. One word caught his eye. "It says here that you're also an infiltration unit. Why didn't you mention that?"

"What kind of infiltration unit would I be if I admitted to it left and right?"

He had a point there. But still... "What proof is there that this isn't a sneak attack?"

"The raw Energon is wreaking havoc with my systems. I'm in no condition to attack anyone, sneak or otherwise."

"I'll have to tell my superior about this, and see what--"

"Please," Nightshade said. "Let me in. I'm suffering. I don't want to die like this."

That did it. If Rhinox woke Optimus up first, the discussion that would follow would take time this new robot didn't have. And whatever else was said or done now, Optimus would make sure it led to only one conclusion anyway.

With a resigned sigh, Rhinox lowered the boarding platform.

* * *

**-End Chapter One-**


	2. Discussion

**-Personal Log: Entry #002-**

_It didn't take long to recharge my field dampers. Rhinox just hooked me into a machine that he called a "CR Chamber". (See Attached) No more than twenty cycles later, I was as strong as ever and ready to be imprisoned._

_Okay, I'm exaggerating. I was only confined to quarters for the night. But I'd never been so bored in my life. They didn't even give me a book. I suppose they might have if I'd expressed a desire for one, but I wasn't really in a position to be asking for more favors._

_The next morning, Optimus introduced me to the rest of the team, with the exception of a scout unit called Tigatron, who apparently prefers to live in the wilderness._

_Optimus then gave me a guided (or supervised; take your pick) tour of the ship, which I learned was an exploration vessel called the _Axalon_. The layout of the ship was quite straightforward. (See Attached)_

_Optimus was kind enough to remain in beast mode for the tour, rather than battle mode, but I could tell by the way he looked at me--ever alert, always cautious--that he was ready to contain me if I started something. The tour ended with me being put back in my quarters again._

* * *

"You'll have to wait here until we decide what to do with you," Optimus said.

Permission to speak frankly, sir," Nightshade replied in smart military fashion.

"Granted."

"Until I'm reformatted for this planet, I really don't care _where_ you put me, as long as it's not back out there." Nightshade entered the room. "But this is a nice place you got here."

"I remember the hotels back on Cybertron were better."

"They were nice too, but once you learn to look past commercials, you realize that nothing is better than what you have. People just paid other people to make it look flashier. This room has everything I need as a Maximal soldier, and nothing I don't need. So apart from the lack of decor, it's perfect."

"Well, that's good to know. And as far as reformatting goes, I understand. Rest assured that whatever else happens, you _will_ be granted some manner of protection against contamination."

"Thank you, sir."

"And there's no need to call me 'sir', Nightshade. Feel free to call me Optimus--or, if you prefer, it seems I've earned a few nicknames from the rest of the team. You could use those, too."

"I respect chain of command."

"And I appreciate it. But everyone here is equal, with his or her own ideas and opinions. If circumstance permits, I listen to all of them."

"Then listen to this: As a newcomer, I feel I am everyone's subordinate. And until I earn the trust of my new comrades, I am no one's equal. You are the exception."

"Why is that?"

"Regardless of how much I am trusted, I will never truly be your equal, because you _lead_ the team. And since it seems to be all the same to you, I think I'll stick with 'sir' for now."

"Well, that's your choice." Optimus stepped away, and the door closed and locked.

Nightshade scoffed inwardly. Locked. What a joke. He could've just punched through the door, no problem. The metal was so thin, he could hear all the way to the bridge, where Optimus was starting the discussion about him.

* * *

"You're all free to speak you mind on this matter, so don't hesitate," Optimus said. He, Rattrap and Dinobot were in beast mode, while Rhinox and Cheetor were in robot mode.

"And, uh, where are Stripes and Feathers?" Rattrap asked. "This is big, and they should be part of it."

"Airazor is trying to bring Tigatron in, even as we speak. But we shouldn't waste any time." Optimus turned toward Rhinox. "You checked Nightshade's CPU ID?"

"For all the good it did. I was able to confirm RVG version three point one as a registered Autobot soldier by that name, from the time of Rodimus Prime. As an infiltration unit, he was an invaluable informant for raiding parties, playing a moderately large part in quelling several Decepticon uprisings at the source. Like all Autobots, he had access to his choice of available weaponry. But very few other details are given, so it wouldn't be difficult for anyone with his skill set to pass as him, in order to spy on us."

"Which could easily become a problem, if we let him stay," Dinobot cut in.

"Well, you know I hate to agree with Pred-head," Rattrap added, ignoring Dinobot's annoyed hiss. "But he _has_ got a point. We can't afford to take chances here. I say we cut this guy loose and be done with him. Otherwise, we're all gonna die."

"Hang on though," Cheetor objected. "To send him off would be a risk by itself. There's no telling how much info Megatron could pump him for, even this early. And suppose he is who he says he is. Rhinox, you said he had his choice of weapons. Think about it. If we could get some of those weapons on our side..."

"You make a good point, Cheetor," Optimus said. "Rhinox, you said 'version three point one'. What became of RVG numbers one through three?"

"I'm not sure," Rhinox replied. "Judging from what I've read, RVG went through a series of upgrades. RVG three point one might or might not be the same unit as the original RVG. Either way, he's more powerful than the original."

"And can you tell us how powerful he is now?" Dinobot asked.

"I collected his system scan from the CR Chamber, and I've got an estimate," Rhinox said. "But I don't think you're going to like it. His basic superstructure mirrors that of a ninja-bot, but he has a lot more kick in him. His firepower rivals yours, Optimus. And while his armor isn't as tough, he more than compensates with his speed. He's small for an Autobot, but he's no less dangerous than a full-sized one."

"Then, if this 'Autobot' decides to turn on us," Dinobot surmised, "it could take several solar cycles for us to salvage each other. Assuming Megatron would give us the chance."

"I knew it," Rattrap said. "We're all gonna--Hold on a cycle. 'Autobot'? That's impossible. Autobots ain't been around for almost three stellar megacycles. At the very least, he'd have to be seriously _ancient._"

"Not necessarily," Rhinox said. "Remember, the transwarp drive can go through space _and time._ If we're in the past, it could be his present."

"So, what? We check the history banks, find out if he was the same guy when he started out?"

"I already did."

"_And?_"

"Well, that's where we hit a bit of a glitch. According to the history files, Nightshade became version three point one the day he defected, discarding his old name." Rhinox paused to let that sink in. "It didn't say who he was or what he did before he became Nightshade, but I do know one thing. For all his upgrades, version three point one was the only Autobot. Up until then, Nightshade, whoever he was, was a Decepticon."

* * *

"Quiet! _Quiet!! QUIET!! **QUIET!! QUIET!!**_"

It had taken a full fifteen cycles for Optimus to restore a semblance of order to the group, but that finally did it. Although, if they remained in the room, it probably wasn't going to last for very long.

"Why'd you have to tell us somethin' like that for?" Rattrap asked.

"You asked the question, and I answered it," Rhinox replied.

"And you reacted the same way to that as you do to me," Dinobot added. "If you didn't want to know, you shouldn't have asked."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Rattrap said dismissively. "Fine. So since we can't radio home about this, what do we do about it?"

"I'll take it to the source," Optimus replied. "I'll ask Nightshade to make his case, and we'll see what we _can_ do about it. Clear?"

Everyone nodded.

"Prime."

* * *

**-End Chapter Two-**


	3. Decision

**-Personal Log: Entry #003-**

_It appears that I must disregard Perceptor's "alien" theory. It does not add up logically with the information I have gathered on these creatures._

_When I scanned both ships, the energy signature of the _Axalon_ was very similar to that of _Alpha Seven_, as I mentioned before. What I did not mention was that the other ship (which I later learned was called the _Darkside_) had an energy signature equally similar to that of _Nemesis,_ the Decepticon flagship._

_Upon my arrival, Rhinox demonstrated a fluent Cybertronian tongue._

_Could this all be coincidence? Perhaps. But it suggests, to me at least, that these "Maximals" are native to Cybertron._

_Also, while they were debating among themselves about what to do with me, the one known as "Rattrap" said, "Autobots ain't been around for almost three stellar megacycles."_

_This leads me to conclude that the Maximals are, in fact, the descendants of the Autobots. I know it may sound far-fetched, but that is all I can come up with at this time._

_I will continue to monitor the Maximals until I recover my ship, and expect my suspicions to be confirmed._

* * *

Nightshade's ears perked up when he heard footsteps coming down the hall. His door unlocked and slid open, and Optimus looked at Nightshade.

"There's a problem. As soon as Rhinox said 'Decepticon'--"

"All hell broke loose. Yeah, I could hear it from here."

Optimus stepped inside, and the door closed behind him. "Care to explain?"

"Rhinox is correct. I was a Decepticon, until I defected. I never expected anyone to trust me the first cycle, or even the first lunar megacycle."

"How'd you get here, exactly?"

"On a ship, same as you."

"Let me elaborate. Why are you here?"

"Consider my primary function when you ask that question."

"If you don't answer me, how do I know I can trust you?"

"There's more to being a Decepticon than having a lust for battle. Decepticons don't just throw around information. They don't give it away. Like everything else, it must be earned. That's the one thing I carried over from being a Decepticon--one of the very few things about their way of life that I find worthwhile, now that I've tasted that of the Autobots."

"Okay. So exactly _how_ do I earn my answers?"

"Find my ship, and you will find your answers. But I warn you: Be careful of how far you search, as there are things you may not want to know."

"Well, that's just--"

"Prime," Nightshade said.

Optimus lifted an eyebrow. "You heard that too, huh?"

"Infiltration units hear a lot by trade. And the design of these--" Nightshade tapped the side of his head. "--audio receivers doesn't hurt either."

"Prime. Now, I won't jump to conclusions, Nightshade, but you haven't given me much reason to trust you so far. I'm putting you on one lunar cycle's probation, during which you're not to leave the _Axalon_ without my direct approval."

"Understood, sir," Nightshade said. "So all that remains is the matter of my protection from Energon contamination."

"You'll be granted a beast form, in case I need you to join a battle. I've had Rhinox activate the wildlife scanner for you, so if you'll report to the scanning room, you can be reformatted."

* * *

"Tarantulas to Megatron."

"Report."

"It's very strange, Megatron. The space scanners just came back online by themselves, but the surface scanners are still down. If not for the encryption algorithm, I'd think it was merely a malfunction. I'm currently trying to find out if the space scanners picked up anything new before they--_Gaaahhh!_"

"Tarantulas, report."

"Come quickly, Megatron. There's something you must see."

* * *

**-End Chapter Three-**


	4. Transformation

**-Personal Log: Entry #004-**

_With the possible exception of the bridge, the scanning room is the largest on the _Axalon_. (See Attached) This comes as no real surprise, as it was probably built for larger or more transformers. But for the moment I am alone here, with only the automated computer for company._

* * *

A large metal ring on the floor began to glow, and Nightshade stepped into the boundary.

"Scanning system for compatible beast modes," the computer said in a stiff, formal tone. A solid circle of blue light formed beneath Nightshade's feet, and the ring moved upward, taking the light with it until it stopped above his head.

"System scan: complete. Commencing scan of local wildlife."

This was the part that worried him. In the process of his many upgrades, he'd gained two pairs of extra weapons--shoulder-mounted plasma lasers, and hip-mounted rocket launchers--which he kept folded behind his back when not in use. But there wasn't a compartment in his back to store them, and if the scanner thought he needed more legs to act as such, he'd likely be given the body of an arachnid or insect. And Nightshade wasn't interested in being labeled as an Insecticon as well.

"Wildlife scan: complete. Multiple possible forms detected. Please select beast mode."

Two holograms appeared in midair. One was of a black panther, and the other of a free-tailed bat.

Neither one looked too bad, really. The problem was going to be choosing one. On the one hand, a panther form would likely be more comfortable, because the basic structure almost mirrored his own. Similar sized limbs, similar balance of strength. On the other hand, he remembered some of his old comrades back on Cybertron had flying alternate forms. He had always wondered what it would be like to look down at the ground from above, and laugh in derision at gravity.

"Hmmm, decisions, decisions. Let's see... eenie... meenie... miny..." Nightshade slammed his fist into his other hand. "Modify! Computer, is it possible to customize my beast mode, by combining elements from these compatible forms?"

"Affirmative."

"Let's try some of that, then."

"Acknowledged. Now replicating scanned forms... ... ...Replication complete. Prepared for modifications."

Nightshade smiled. This was gonna be _good._

"Take the wings from the bat, and add them to the panther's back."

The panther hologram grew, shunting the bat to one side. The bat's wings were highlighted, and copies appeared on the panther's back, stretching from just behind its neck to the base of the ribcage.

"Modification complete."

"Okay, now replace the panther's ears with the bat's."

A ring of light formed around the panther's neck and traveled up the head, changing the ears as it passed.

"Modification complete."

"Also, replace the panther's forepaws with the bat's feet."

Two more rings of light lowered themselves down from around the panther's ankles, leaving another mutation in their wake.

"Modification complete."

"Can I get the bat's echolocation as well?"

The panther's throat glowed for a few clicks, and then dimmed back to normal.

"Modification complete."

Nightshade took a good look at his finished product. A new manner of beast, truly fitting of his name. He smiled again. This crossbreed was perfect.

"Finalize and lock modifications. I'll take it."

"Acknowledged. Finalizing... ... ... ... ...Modifications locked. Commencing reformatting sequence."

The circle of light changed from blue to red, and began descending again, changing Nightshade's outer appearance to seamlessly fit his new beast form. The first change that hit his attention was that the lasers he had on his back were now hidden in his folded wings. As the light progressed downward, each of Nightshade's forearms changed into half of his beast head, which sported the bat's relatively large ears on his elbows, and had his hands extending from between the jaws. His rocket launchers were safely tucked away in his panther's forelegs, and his robot legs changed shape, becoming thicker and stronger. Nightshade's body gained a dark silver trim over his black cyber-armor. And as a final touch, the Maximal insignia was emblazoned, in the same dark silver, into the center of Nightshade's chest.

"This is absolutely wild."

* * *

"Any luck locating Nightshade's ship, Rhinox?"

"None, Optimus."

The two of them were on the bridge. Rhinox was working at the console, with Optimus looking over his shoulder at the computer screen.

"What about the scanners? Are they back online?"

"The space scanners went back online by themselves, about the same time as our discussion ended. So unless Nightshade's craft up and left by then, it's still here. But the surface scanners are still out, so I can't find it."

"Can you clue us in on why you _want_ that thing, fearless leader?" Rattrap asked as he and Dinobot entered the bridge.

"Find the ship, and we may find our answers. Nightshade said it himself."

"And why trust him?" Dinobot wondered.

"I'm still not sure I do. I've put him on probation; we'll see how he handles it. But there's no room for self-doubt. If the ship is intact, and large enough, we may be able to use it to get back to Cybertron. In the meantime, I've sent Cheetor to update Tigatron and Airazor about our guest."

"Why not just, I don't know, use the com-link?" Rattrap asked sarcastically.

"Because there's too much Energon interference," Rhinox said.

"Besides," Optimus added, "Cheetor's been saying he wanted to stretch his legs."

* * *

"A spacecraft," Megatron said. "Interesting. Yes. Can you figure out where it landed?"

"I'm not sure," Tarantulas replied. "The descent was highly erratic, almost as if the pilot was looking for something as he entered the atmosphere. The craft also has an intact stealth system, which activated about half-way down."

"Meaning?" Megatron prompted.

"Meaning I'm only able to plot the first half of the craft's descent. And as random as that was, it's useless to me. With our surface scanners out, I can't find any energy anomalies that would mark the craft's location. But it is still on this planet, and sooner or later, I _will_ find it."

"You had better. Regardless of how much Energon we have, we won't be able to get off this planet without some spare parts. That craft may supply us with the materials we need. Yes."

"There's something else as well, Megatron. I believe I've identified the occupants. The scanners were able to pick up a faint Decepticon energy signature, which was overshadowed by that of an Autobot."

"That's impossible."

"Perhaps not, Megatron. The temporal jump was not accounted for when we were originally trying to escape the Maximals. If we are in the past, the energy signatures could be accurate. A prisoner, perhaps?"

"Or a traitor. Either way, I may be able to reach the Decepticon, and turn him back to us. Yes. Tarantulas, that craft and its occupants are now our top priority. Get out there, and find them. I want that Decepticon!"

* * *

**-End Chapter Four-**


	5. Dreaming of Power

A/N- During this chapter, Nightshade's voice will jump to a high pitch every now and again. I'll let you know when that happens by dragging out sounds.

* * *

**-Personal Log: Entry #005-**

_Optimus met me outside the scanning room, and filled me in on my new systems. What it boils down to is this:_

_My transformation, at least at first, will be dependent on Activation Codes. If I were to speak the words "beast mode", I would immediately convert to beast mode. While in the aforementioned beast mode, to say the word "maximize" would return me to my robot form. Once I properly memorize the different servo movements, I will be able to transform without the Activation Codes._

_I now have my own personal IRS, (Internal Repair System) which activates automatically when I convert to beast mode. From what I've heard, it's not as efficient as a CR Chamber, but it's quite handy in the field._

_When I asked Optimus about this planet, he told me he didn't know where it was, or when. The _Axalon_ had locked onto the _Darkside_'s warp signature, following it through space and time until both ships crashed here. The _Axalon_'s engine core died in the crash, and the core from the _Darkside_ was fried in a subsequent transplant attempt. Neither one is capable of ever flying again._

_Then he told me of the _Darkside_'s crew, the Predacons. There are currently seven of them, led by a tyrannosaur named Megatron. The Maximals and Predacons have been engaged in a war for survival, the Beast Wars, for some time. Megatron is intent on conquering Cybertron, and he will use Earth's resources to do so. Optimus refuses to let that happen. Kinda sounds familiar, when I think about it._

_I was correct in my supposition on the origin of these people. The Maximals and Predacons are indeed descended from Autobots and Decepticons, respectively. Under this knowledge, I have deleted all of the system scans from the various items I have encountered, and will refrain from inquiring further into their history. Unerring knowledge of the future can be a very dangerous thing._

* * *

"What a fool he is," Tarantulas said to himself, as he finished his work in his lair. "Megatron truly does not suspect what I have planned."

"But I might," Blackarachnia said, emerging from the shadows behind him. "You intend to take that ship for yourself, don't you? To 'get off this dirt-ball as soon as you can'? Admit it!"

Tarantulas turned to face her. "And what exactly would you think to do about it?"

"Why, help you. What else?"

"Aaarrrggghhh, like you helped _last time?_ You nearly got us both scrapped, you conniving witch!"

"Hey," Blackarachnia said, unfazed. "As far as conniving goes, I'm nothing compared to yourself." She gently ran a claw over his chest. "This time, though, I know for a fact that I am better served... by serving you."

"Ohhh, all right then." Tarantulas converted to beast mode. "The craft itself is not something I recognize, so we'll have to pay the pilot a little visit, and see what he can tell us."

"You know where the pilot is?"

"The scrambler program that knocked out the scanners missed the computer down here, and I discovered an energy anomaly, which gave me an estimate of where the ship might be found. I can't scan inside the craft while its shields are active, so we'll have to go there and seek out the pilot."

"What if the pilot isn't there?"

"We will check his ship first. If he is not there, then I suspect there's only one other place he could be."

Tarantulas scuttled out of the cave. Blackarachnia transformed and followed him.

* * *

Nightshade stepped into his room, taking another look. Yeah, it needed a few homey touches, he decided. The walls were too empty. But until he recovered _Alpha Seven_, he wouldn't have anything to stick on them.

He reflected on the events of the past solar cycle. First he walked to this ship from his own, nearly getting fried by the raw Energon deposits on the way. Then he was introduced to everyone except Tigatron, who had been patrolling the area. Then he was given a beast mode, so that the Energon wouldn't get to him again. Then he was told about a _war,_ and now--

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Nightshade said.

The door slid open, and Cheetor and Tigatron entered, both in robot mode.

"Big Cat, this is Nightshade," Cheetor said. "Nightshade, Tigatron."

Nightshade gave a quick salute, and then stuck out his hand.

"I see you've already chosen you beast form," Tigatron said as he shook Nightshade's hand. "May I see it?"

"If you like." Nightshade took a few steps back. "Beast mode!"

Nightshade's robot head descended into his chest as he raised his arms above him, internal joints pushing his shoulders together. Both halves of the panther's muzzle unlocked themselves from Nightshade's wrists, and each half of the panther's head slid forward over his robot hands, concealing them from view as the panther's head locked together. He bent forward, and his panther forelegs unfolded and swung out from behind his lower back, moving up to take their place at his shoulders, his bat's claws catching him before he fell. His wings unfurled, and a panther's tail snaked its way out of his back, completing the transformation in two or three clicks.

"Is it up to your expectations?" he asked, watching their faces.

"And then some," Tigatron said.

"Yeah, ultra-gear," Cheetor added. "But what is it?"

"A crossbreed," Nightshade answered simply.

"Totally spot-on smoooooth," Cheetor remarked. "I've _got_ to take you running sometime."

"I'd like that. I didn't get a real chance to see what's out there when I landed, and it'd help me get to know the world I've landed on." Nightshade sighed. "But I'm on probation for the next lunar cycle. I can't leave the base without Optimus's direct approval."

"Optimus has a good spark," Tigatron said. "He might send an escort, but I don't think he'd deny you such a simple request. And it will be well worth asking."

"You think so?"

Tigatron nodded. "This world has many wonders, even beyond what you would have seen, had you had time to notice them on your journey from your ship to this one."

"Oh, _frrraaag_ my fangs!" Nightshade said suddenly.

"Whoa!" Cheetor stepped back. "All aboard for trip-out city!"

"Are you all right?" Tigatron asked.

"I'm not sure," Nightshade said, confused. "Suddenly, I feel... out of sync with myself. That squeal escaped before I could stop it. Maybe this crossbreed form wasn't such a good idea."

"A programming block," Tigatron surmised.

"Like the time the Preds swiped our rectifier coil?" Cheetor asked. "But it took two solar cycles for the effects to hit us!"

"Which means there's still time to stop it before it gets worse. We should make use of that time." Tigatron stepped forward. "Listen to me, Nightshade. Your beast mind, whatever it is, may be trying to overpower you. Stop fighting it. Search your core consciousness. Find the programming block, and delete it. And let your beast instincts work side-by-side with your robot intelligence. Only then will you be at peace with yourself."

"I... I can try," Nightshade said. "But compared to what my voice can do, that first freak-out might as well have been a mute mouse. You'll want to cover your audio receivers."

He waited until they did so, then looked within himself as Tigatron had instructed. But his diagnostic circuits had other ideas.

"_AAARRRGGGHHH!_" Nightshade slammed his clenched forepaw into the deck.

"Whoa, you weren't kidding about that voice thing," Cheetor said. "Ow."

"What's the problem, Nightshade?" Tigatron asked.

"Programming block _not found,_" Nightshade said, beginning to panic. "So, what now? I await your next bright idea, _maaassster_ guru-bot."

"Don't get huffy with me," Tigatron growled. "I'm only trying to _help!_"

"I know! I know." Nightshade calmed himself. "I'm sorry. It's just, this _plaaannnet,_ this ship, this war... it's an awful lot for me to wrap my processor around. And that's without this malfunction, or whatever it is."

Maybe that's _all_ it is," Cheetor said. "Just a malfunction."

"You should try talking to Rhinox," Tigatron suggested, stepping out of the way. "He'll know."

"Not a bad idea." Nightshade ran from the room.

* * *

Rhinox slammed the console angrily. "It's no good, Optimus. The scrambling program that's knocked out the surface scanners subtly changes itself every few cycles. I can't keep track of it."

"You did what you could, Rhinox. You _know_ that's all I've ever expected of you."

"There you are, Rhinox," Nightshade said, arriving on the bridge. "Nightshade, maximize." He transformed, and approached the console. "Problems with the scanners?"

"How did you know?" Rhinox asked. "Unless..."

"I can help you with that, Rhinox, but I need you to help me."

"You put this program in the computer," Rhinox accused.

"Who else? And if you need me to, I'll get rid of it. But right now, I've got problems of my own. Problems that, according to Cheetor and Tigatron, may require your know-how to fix."

Rhinox looked to Optimus. "What do you think?"

"If Nightshade can fix this, then you should at least see what his problem is," Optimus said. "It's not worth your frustration to stay here."

* * *

"All right," Rhinox said. "What's the problem, Nightshade?"

The two of them were alone in the medical room.

"Well, I'm not sure," Nightshade replied. "In beast mode, my voice started jumping back and forth randomly between my normal tone and a high-pitched screech."

"How high would you say it was? Like a bat's sonar?"

"Not quite, but pretty close. And I felt like I didn't know myself. Like I couldn't really remember what I wanted."

"Maybe your programming block--"

"Programming block not found. Tigatron had the same theory."

"Well, the only other idea I can give you is that something about your beast form is messing with your circuitry. In order to test the theory, though, you'll have to transform, and go offline for about ten or fifteen cycles."

Nightshade yawned. "Great. Some sleep might help me clear my head. Beast mode." He transformed, hopped onto the exam table, and laid down for a nap.

* * *

Nightshade's eyes opened. Not that it did any good, though. The space around him was pitch-black.

"Where am I?" he wondered.

A light appeared before him, just bright enough for him to see that he was currently in robot mode.

"And when did I maximize?"

"_Why_ did you maximize?" The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. "That is the question."

"Who are you?" Nightshade asked. "_That's_ the real question."

"Oh, come now. Surely you haven't forgotten me already?"

The light changed shape, taking form until Nightshade could make out a familiar face. A face that he would've been happier never seeing again.

"Galvatron." Nightshade spat out the name as though it were poisoned, saturated with the juice of his namesake.

"Such fury does not become you," the Decepticon commander said.

"Leave me alone!" Nightshade yelled.

"Return to us," Galvatron replied.

"I'll _never_ return! I'm with the Autobots now, and that's where I'm _staying!_"

"You're fooling yourself," Galvatron sneered. "You will never be a true Autobot. You joined with Rodimus Prime only to save yourself from being scrapped."

"_I'LL SCRAP YOU, YOU TIN-PLATED TYRANT!_" Nightshade positioned his wings so that the claws were pointing forward, over his shoulders. The wing-claws glowed red for a few clicks, then fired Nightshade's plasma lasers.

The twin crimson beams hit dead on, blasting through and shattering Galvatron's optic sensors. Nightshade turned to leave.

"So, even now you defy me," the blinded Decepticon said. "Very well then. We could have used your strength, but now the gauntlet has been cast."

Nightshade turned back in time to see Galvatron's image dissolve back into light. It quickly reshaped itself again, this time taking the form of Soundwave.

"Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage, eject," Soundwave commanded, opening his chest plate. "Operation: Bind and destroy."

Three cassette tapes flew from Soundwave's chest, and he vanished. The tapes transformed themselves into two humanoid robots, and a black metal cat.

Rumble and Frenzy grabbed Nightshade's arms, holding him there while Ravage moved in for the kill.

"I still have a few tricks left! Beast mode!" Nightshade's transformation sequence pulled Rumble and Frenzy off of their feet. Ravage stopped short just in time to avoid being sandwiched between his two comrades, but they slammed together and dissipated. Then, Nightshade turned to face Ravage. "You'll _never_ take me back! **_RARRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!_**"

The bat's scream seemed to have the desired effect, as Ravage backed off a few meters. The sound echoed through the emptiness several times before dying down. Ravage did not approach again.

Nightshade breathed a sigh of relief--then instinctively shrank back as he heard a rhythmic growl.

Ravage was laughing at him.

* * *

Rhinox started as Nightshade sat up suddenly.

"I tried to keep them quiet, Nightshade," Rhinox said. "But I couldn't keep them away."

"What're you--" Nightshade stopped in mid-sentence, seeing a cheetah and a white tiger standing near the table. "It's fine, Rhinox. Diagnosis?"

"When you first transformed into your beast form, your internal repair system thought the bat's echolocation was an improperly configured weapon. In order to help you, it started making modifications of its own accord. Even as we speak, your beast mode's voice box is being completely rewired into a high-grade sonic refractor."

"Sonic refractor?" Cheetor repeated. "Ultra-gear!"

"That, it is," Rhinox agreed. "And rare. I've heard of such things, but until today, I've never seen it before."

"What triggers such a turn of events?" Nightshade asked.

"Triggers sometimes vary," Rhinox replied. "But in the majority of recorded cases, the beast form of the unit in question was manually modified."

"That's basically what I did," Nightshade said. "Using the panther as a starting template, I added on bits of bat where they'd be most useful. So, how did you figure this out?"

"I figured it out when you let loose with a sonic beam, in your sleep," Rhinox answered. "Shortly before you woke up, you punched a hole in the wall." He stepped aside, giving Nightshade a clear look at his handiwork. "Must've been some dream you were having."

Nightshade's eyes widened when he saw the six-inch tear in the metal. If he could do that in his sleep...

"You should also know that in all recorded occurrences, the rewiring process has had strange side-effects," Rhinox continued. "In your case, the pitch of your voice jumping up and down."

"What about the feeling of loss of self?" Nightshade asked anxiously.

"Well, I'm no psychiatrist, but because you only started feeling that way around the first jump in pitch, I think it's safe to assume that that will end when the process ends. Which should only be another forty cycles, assuming you remain in beast mode and allow your repair system to finish it."

"But I can't."

"Why not?" Tigatron asked. "To have such a weapon in beast mode could mean the difference between victory and defeat."

"I made a promise, Tigatron." Nightshade turned his head toward Rhinox. "You kept your end of the _baaarrrgain,_ and so should I. It's time I took that program out of the computer."

"Go back to sleep, Nightshade. Finish the modifications." Rhinox was insistent. "Doctor's orders."

Doctor's orders. Nightshade rolled his eyes. Right. Having never seen it before, Rhinox probably wanted to monitor Nightshade until the rewiring process sorted itself out.

"Whatever," Nightshade shrugged. Now or later made no difference, as far as he was concerned. He stretched out on the table and hunkered down for another snooze.

* * *

**-End Chapter Five-**


	6. Virus

**-Personal Log: Entry #006-**

_I have taken Rhinox's advice, and am now feeling better physically than I ever have. However, a lingering thought remains. A hunch, nagging at the back of my mind. One that I will have to investigate, if ever I get the chance._

* * *

"It's not actually the scrambler program that knocked out the scanners, though I made it _look_ like it was," Nightshade explained as he typed. "_That_ program was only meant to draw your attention away from the _other_ one. The other one being a mild hacker-link virus, that would not have worked, had you seen it coming."

"Hacker-link virus?" Optimus asked.

"Properly transmitted, it allows the user--that is, me--to hack into a separate computer network, using the link provided by the virus itself. Hackers are harder to track when they make their own road."

"How would it not have worked?" Rhinox enquired.

"The virus itself would be child's play to remove, for someone with your skills," Nightshade said. "I sent in the scrambler first to make it look like the virus wasn't there, so it could worm its way into this network. Once in, I was supposed to use the link to take control of your scanners and rig the results, thus making it look like my _ship_ wasn't there. Okay, scrambler's gone. Now for the virus."

"So why not just cloak yourself, if you had that control?"

"Because I _didn't_ have that control."

"You didn't?" Optimus asked.

"Don't get me wrong; I'm one of the best from my time," Nightshade said. "But this software is ahead of my time. In the end, it was a lot easier to shut down the scanners entirely, rather than rig the readouts. Either way, as long as the virus remained, the last thing I had done would supposedly stay done. There, done."

Nightshade backed off. The computer screen flickered, showing all systems as normal.

"Did you do the same thing to the Predacons' computer?" Optimus asked.

"Had to, to make sure I'd properly covered my tracks. And since they're the enemy, is it okay if I leave them hanging for a bit?"

"Well, why not? At any rate, it gives us the advantage in recovering our stasis pods."

"The smaller things I passed on my way down."

"That's right. Each one has a Maximal protoform inside, waiting to be reawakened."

"But the Predacons are capable of reprogramming the protoforms into Predacons themselves," Rhinox said. "Which is why it's imperative we get to them first, whenever possible."

"That virus of yours may have done us a great service, Nightshade," Optimus said, feeling new respect for the newcomer.

"Well, I'm just doing my job," Nightshade replied modestly. "If, along the way, I helped you do yours, all the better."

* * *

**-End Chapter Six-**


	7. Battle

**-Personal Log: Entry #007-**

_It has been one megacycle since I deleted the hacker-link virus from the _Axalon_'s computer network. I am beginning to worry about my ship. With only the stealth system active, _Alpha Seven_ should be all but impossible to find, but that will not last forever._

_The only real solution would be to bring her here, but as I am on probation, I cannot leave the _Axalon_ without Optimus Primal's direct approval._

* * *

"Anything?" Optimus asked.

"Not a flicker," Rhinox replied. The two of them were on the bridge. Rhinox was at the console, scanning the planet grid by grid. "It would help if I knew where to look."

"Trying to find my ship?" Nightshade asked, stepping forward from the corridor.

"That's right," Optimus replied. "You told me to earn my answers, and that's what I'm doing."

"Do you have an environ-map of the immediate area?"

"Why do you need one?"

Nightshade figured that at this point, the best approach was the truth. "It's going to be hell trying to recover _Alpha Seven_ with the Preds on your tail. You should at least know where she is, so you have a better shot at her."

Rhinox activated the map, and Nightshade took a good look.

"Now, if I remember these landmarks correctly, (everything looks so different from above) she ought to be..." He pointed to a flatland on the edge of a cliff. "Here. Scan this area for energy anomalies. If you find any, that will be her stealth system."

"I recognize that place," Rhinox said.

"You should," Optimus replied. "That's where we put up the signal array to contact the temporal probe."

Early warning interrupted them with an alert. Rhinox activated the perimeter camera, and the view screen showed Tarantulas and Blackarachnia approaching, both in robot mode.

"We are here for the newcomer," Tarantulas said, looking at the camera. "We know his spacecraft is on this planet, and he will tell us how to get in."

"Set the radio to respond, Rhinox," Optimus commanded. "And put the auto-guns on standby. I'm going to set the spiders straight."

"These Predacons are after me, Optimus," Nightshade objected. "Permit me to speak for myself."

Optimus hesitated, and then nodded. Nightshade took the stage, looking at the view screen. He didn't know if the spiders could see him, but he could make himself sound angry.

"I'll tell you what you'll get!" he yelled. "A few rounds in your chest plates, that's what! You can't have me _or_ my ship! Now leave or I will shoot you myself!"

In response, both spiders fired three shots at the ship. The combined blast shook the deck. A few clicks later, Cheetor and Tigatron stepped onto the bridge, roused into action by the danger.

"This is your last chance!" Blackarachnia said. "Surrender yourself or we blow this ship to pieces!"

"Rhinox, activate the auto-guns," Nightshade said. To the spiders, he sent his last word. "Consider yourselves _swatted,_ bugs!"

If the Predacons were frightened, they did not show it as they stepped closer.

"Why aren't the auto-guns firing, Rhinox?" Cheetor asked.

"That last volley took them out," Rhinox replied.

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" Nightshade wondered.

"Because you wouldn't shut up long enough to listen. Besides, it looked like you had everything under control."

"Pure bluff," Nightshade hissed. "I'm on probation. I can't actually go out there."

"Do what you will, Nightshade," Optimus said. "This is your fight."

Nightshade needed no second bidding. He hopped onto the boarding platform, riding it down to meet the Predacons.

As the platform touched down, the bat's ears on his elbows spun to point toward his hands. From the edge of each ear, a deep blue laser extended, forging itself into a ninjaken blade.

Nightshade stepped off the platform, and it rose back up. Approaching the spiders, he shouted his challenge. "Do either of you have the guts to face me one on one, hand to hand?"

"I will fight you!" Blackarachnia responded. "If I win, you tell us how to get inside that ship!"

"And if _I_ win, you leave me _and_ my ship alone!"

"Done!" Blackarachnia ran forward, executing a near perfect spin-kick. Nightshade brought up his arm to block it, using his laser sword to cut a gash in her leg. She screamed in pain, faltering slightly.

That was all Nightshade needed. Using his agility and speed, and wasting no motion, Nightshade quickly gained ground and kept it, expertly swinging his twin swords, giving his opponent no opportunity to find an opening or a weakness. Coming from a human, it would be an impressive display of mikkyo. For Nightshade, it was business as usual.

Then he heard Tarantulas approaching from behind, charging a gun. Retracting his blades, Nightshade jumped aside just as Tarantulas fired. The shot hit Blackarachnia's chest plate, knocking her further off-balance.

Landing with a half-somersault, Nightshade turned and fired a quasar bolt from his panther's eye. It hit Tarantulas's arm dead-on, knocking away his weapon.

"I had thought you would face me with honor," Nightshade said, aiming one of his arms at each of the spiders, and looking back and forth between them. "It appears I was mistaken."

"One thing you have to learn about Predacons," Blackarachnia said, circling around Nightshade to meet Tarantulas, "is that we never play by the rules."

"Sometimes we pretend to," Tarantulas added, also circling toward the other spider.

"But?" Nightshade prompted, not taking his eyes off either of them.

"But we're usually just biding our time," Tarantulas said, meeting Blackarachnia. "Waiting for the right moment to _strike!_"

At that, both of them extended their spider's legs, letting off a volley of machine-gun fire.

Nightshade brought up his arms, using his panther's head to protect himself from the force of the attack. Aiming with only his audio receivers as the bullets hit him, he brought forward his wing-claws and gave the Predacons both barrels.

The spiders' gunfire eased as the lasers fired, then ceased.

Nightshade lowered his hands. Tarantulas and Blackarachnia were still standing, but not looking at him anymore.

"We've got you covered, Nightshade."

Nightshade looked behind him. Cheetor, Tigatron and Rhinox were standing there, all guns at the ready.

"Those bullets did a bit of damage," Rhinox said. "Best get into the CR Chamber. We can get your ship for you."

"No you can't," Nightshade replied. "She's got the very latest safeguards and firewalls available to my time, against damn near everything. No disrespect to your computer skills, but right now, I'm probably the only thing available that can get in there in less than a full solar cycle. I'm coming with you."

"You need repairs," Rhinox insisted.

"True. But I'm still coming with you," Nightshade said resolutely. "Beast mode."

Cheetor took a look at Nightshade, but kept his gun pointed directly at Tarantulas. "What do you want done with the spiders?"

"They are not a threat at the moment," Nightshade said. "Let them return."

"One of these days, you'll find yourself in my web," Blackarachnia said, as she and Tarantulas retreated. "And then you'll be sorry you messed with me."

"Just keep moving," Nightshade shouted back. "And count yourself lucky that I didn't decide to make a meal of you. I could really go for some shish kebug."

* * *

"Did you get the shots?" Megatron asked.

Blackarachnia pulled a small, cloaked device off of her arm. As she did so, the cloak faded to reveal a camera. "Two shots each of Nightshade's robot and beast modes, like you asked," she said, with her usual bored undertone. "But what did you want them for?"

"It always pays to have backups," Megatron replied.

"Whatever." Blackarachnia handed over the camera and steered her hover platform toward the Restoration Chamber.

* * *

**-End Chapter Seven-**


	8. Invitation

**-Personal Log: Entry #008-**

_With Rhinox, Cheetor, and Tigatron by my side, recovering _Alpha Seven_ was child's play, and I have hidden her near the _Axalon,_ and moved my radio and posters from _Alpha Seven_ to my quarters in the Maximal base. It has now been two solar cycles since then, and I believe I have successfully integrated myself into Maximal society. I am still on probation, but it's not as bad as it could be._

_However, I am concerned. I will have to leave eventually, but _Alpha Seven_'s transwarp drive is severely depleted, and needs to be recharged if I am to attempt a return journey._

* * *

Nightshade was in his quarters, resting in beast mode, when he caught the sound of heavy footsteps heading down the corridor. The sound stopped in front of his door.

"Door open," he said quickly.

The computer obeyed. Framed in the doorway was Optimus, standing ready to knock.

"Ah, yes. Silly me." Optimus lowered his hand. "I forgot how good your hearing was."

"Yeah, it's easy to take it for granted," Nightshade told him, sitting up. "Well, come in, then. Rude to lurk in doorways, you know."

"Actually, Nightshade, I was hoping you would come out. I've got a job for you."

* * *

"As I suspected. Yes." Megatron had finally completed his search of the database, isolating images of Nightshade's robot and beast heads for comparison against the separate files on the Decepticons.

Inferno floated next to him. The fire ant had grown concerned that his "queen" was spending so much time staring at a computer. "You have found what you are looking for, royalty?"

"Not yet. But what I have found will help me _find_ what I am looking for. All that remains is to wait for the newcomer to emerge."

"I do not understand."

The computer interrupted them. "Two Maximals detected. One, identified as unit: Rattrap. One, identified as unit: Nightshade."

"Ah, it seems there is to be no waiting. No." Megatron converted to beast mode. "Inferno, bring Scorponok and follow me. This is something that will now require my... personal touch. Yes."

"As you command, my queen." Inferno made an elegant bow, and turned to leave.

"And stop calling me that."

* * *

"I cannot _believe_ Optimus sent _you_ with me to play Energon hide-and-seek," Rattrap said. "I don't trust you."

"I got that impression when you first saw my beast form," Nightshade replied, with the air of one commenting on the weather. The two of them were walking in beast mode, side by side, on the shelf of a canyon wall. "The way you were shivering, one would think your servo fluids were about to freeze over."

"Well, the only thing worse than a Pred is a stinkin' Decepticon. Just the thought of you alternates my currents."

Nightshade could see it was going to be impossible to convince Rattrap that he wasn't a Decepticon anymore, so he decided to roll with it.

"I can't say I'm surprised. I'm a creature of the night, part cat, and part flying hunter," he said. "I can see how, to a rodent, that can be perceived as a powerful threat." He flared his wings for added effect.

"Be that as it may, however," Nightshade continued, folding his wings, "Optimus trusted me enough to place me at your command, and I fully intend to prove worthy of his trust, even if I'm not worthy of yours." He looked directly at Rattrap with a serious gaze. "So, that being said, do you have any orders, Commander, or are you just going to gripe and complain about my heritage the whole way?"

"All right, all right. We were told to search high and low. You look high, and I'll look low. We'll see if we can find some Energon before the Preds find us."

"You mean fly?" Nightshade had been getting lessons from Airazor, and was thrilled by the thought of a solo field test.

"Do I mean fly?" Rattrap repeated under his breath. "_NO!_ I mean you look high. _OF COURSE I MEAN FLY!_ Now get your charcoal butt in the air!"

"On your word, Commander." Nightshade ran ahead, then turned and launched himself off the cliff. A few clicks later, the panther rose on full wings, looking like he was ready to test their limits.

"And don't forget, we're almost on the edge of Pred turf!" Rattrap yelled up after him. He was becoming irritated by Nightshade's eagerness for the open sky. "So keep those ridiculous ears open, and your mind on the terrain!"

Nightshade sighed. As much fun as flying was, he knew Rattrap was right, and this was neither the time nor place to play with the wind. He flew higher, scanning the ground below for the flashes of blue that would betray the location of an Energon deposit.

* * *

"Well, if it isn't the midnight mutant," Megatron said. He was in beast mode, watching from a hole in the stone wall. The cave entrance was a shelf below the one Rattrap was on. "And playing an aerial version of I Spy."

"What do we do, boss?" Scorponok asked, crawling up beside him in beast mode.

"Inferno, dig a tunnel between us and the vermin. Scorponok, climb the cliff. It is imperative that one of you gets the drop on him, or the whole plan fails. Hold him there, and await my command."

* * *

Nightshade flew lower to be sure, and then called out to Rattrap. "I think I found some Energon!"

An orb flew upward and exploded, scattering a multitude of red sparkles. Nightshade looked down to see a tyrannosaur looking back at him.

"That's not all you've found," the current Megatron said. "What was it that you called yourself again?"

"Be warned, Megatron!" Nightshade yelled back. "My namesake isn't _half_ as deadly as I am! Nightshade! _Maximize!_"

Having transformed, he aimed all six of his guns at the saurian. Megatron chuckled.

"Oh, I don't think you want to do that, Nightshade. No. For I have some... How shall I put it? Collateral that you might want to know about. Yes." He lifted his head toward the ledge above him.

Nightshade followed his gaze and saw a tough-looking black transformer restraining Rattrap with one pincer-claw, while the other was trained on the rodent's head, right next to a flamethrower that was held by a red robot with a crazed look on his face.

"Call off your soldiers, Megatron," the black cat said. "Whatever you want with me is between us. Rattrap's not part of this."

"Of course not. That's why he's my security. If you fire on me, Scorponok and Inferno are under orders to vaporize the vermin."

Feeling defeated and hating it, Nightshade powered down his weapons and slowly descended, landing roughly five feet away from Megatron. "All right, Fossil-face. What do you want?"

"I wish only a few cycles of your time to talk, uninterrupted by gunfire," Megatron replied. "Once done, I will release your friend."

"He's hardly my friend. But I'm listening. So talk."

* * *

"What did you mean, I'm not your friend?" Rattrap asked thirty cycles later. Both of them were back in beast mode, heading home.

"One cannot be called 'friend' if one is untrusting." Nightshade wasn't happy. True, he'd gotten both of them out of there intact, but Megatron had hit a sensitive spot in his spark.

"Well, it's a matter of perspective," Rattrap said. "Decepticons are dishonest people. And you can always trust dishonest people to be dishonest. Honestly."

"Shut up, Rattrap."

"Hey, I'm still the Commander of this expedition. You don't tell me to shut up."

"I'd say the expedition ended when you were taken hostage," Nightshade reminded him. "Now shut up."

"There's just no pleasing you, is there?"

"Not while you're still talking, no."

"Well, why didn't you say so sooner? I'll be quiet. All quiet on the western front. Zip the lip, take a key, and lock it up."

"Don't make me throw you off this cliff."

"That won't make me any quieter."

"It'll make me feel better. Now for the last time, _shut up._ I'm trying to think."

"Don't strain yourself."

"_MAXIMIZE!_" The word wasn't even fully out of his mouth before Nightshade plunged his laser ninjaken into the rock wall, an inch from Rattrap's head.

"Be thankful we are still allies," Nightshade growled. "No one else would survive pushing me this far."

"You're full of yourself, you know that, Motor-head? I'm three stellar megacycles ahead of you. I can take you, easy."

"Really?" Nightshade carved a chunk out of the wall, tossed it into the air, swung his blade three times in rapid succession, and smirked as eight pieces of stone bounced off of Rattrap's head. "How much you want to bet?"

"Hitting me would only prove to Optimus that I was right about you."

"Not if you struck first," Nightshade pointed out.

"You want to fight?"

"You want to take that chance?" Nightshade retracted his sword and flew away. When he could no longer hear Rattrap's protesting voice, he retreated into his processor, calling up the memory of his conversation with Megatron.

* * *

_"I wanted to extend an invitation to you, to join the Predacons," Megatron said, quietly enough that Rattrap wouldn't hear him._

_"And why would I do that?"_

_"I know of your past. You were a Decepticon once."_

_"So?"_

_"I even know your former name."_

_Nightshade immediately made it clear that Megatron had said the wrong thing. "I gave up that name to make way for my new life. Mention it here, and I will unleash a tempest of light and fire. Hostage or not."_

_Megatron backed off slightly. "Very well. Just take the time to think it through. Join with me, become a Predacon, and you can regain your legacy."_

_"What makes you think I want any part of your depraved insanity?" Nightshade growled, his voice rising dangerously. "What in the name of Vector Sigma makes you think you can say anything to--"_

_Megatron raised a small hand to interrupt, leaned closer, and spoke even more quietly. "Your words are strong, but in the end, words are only words. Let your actions dictate your allegiance. Yes."_

_He nodded to his soldiers. "Release the vermin. We're leaving."_

_"Oh, and Nightshade?" Megatron called back, when he had retreated to a safe distance. "If your venom is so great, why did you not strike after Scorponok and Inferno had withdrawn?"_

* * *

That last comment had strengthened Nightshade's nagging hunch, and the wheels were beginning to turn in his head. Perhaps he was meant to be a Decepticon. Perhaps the loss of self he'd experienced had been because he'd broken away from his true nature.

It was then that the dark cat made up his mind.

"Nightshade to Optimus. Come in, Optimus Primal."

* * *

Optimus responded quickly when the transmission came through. "This is Optimus."

"Are you alone?"

"For the moment. But I don't know how long that'll last."

"Well, when you get a chance, sir, can you spare a few cycles? It's not a heavy priority, but I need to speak with you. Privately."

Optimus took a few clicks to consider it. It was clear that Nightshade was upset about something. But what could leave him this rattled, and not need talking over immediately?

"When I can make the time, I will. Primal out."

* * *

**-End Chapter Eight-**


	9. Council of War

**-Personal Log: Entry #009-**

_It has been more than three solar megacycles since the day I spoke to Megatron, and I've kept myself pretty busy. Tigatron was right; Optimus doesn't mind letting me have my fun. Asking is only a formality now, as long as I keep an eye out for Predacon activity._

_I did have to answer for leaving Rattrap behind. The reprimand was bearable, but my own sense of guilt over losing control the way I had prevented me from looking Optimus in the optics for a solar cycle afterward._

_Each new sunrise promises new opportunities. I've made good progress on my flying lessons with Airazor, and have moved on to aerial combat training._

_Tigatron and Cheetor take me sightseeing sometimes, and have taken to calling me Black Cat. They themselves have taken the names Big Cat and Little Cat, respectively. I'm honored to have such good friends._

_Dinobot, having once been a Predacon, understands what it means to endure Rattrap's open distrust. When I need to blow off steam, I can spar with him in his quarters, which he has turned into a small dojo._

_Twice now, Optimus has tried to speak to me alone, as I requested. Twice we have been interrupted, right off the bat. Such, it seems, is the burden of leadership. I am considering withdrawing the request, if for no other reason than to give Optimus a moment of peace._

_In the end, I may use flight as a catalyst and think the issue over myself. Shaking off the bonds of gravity often seems a simple pleasure, but I find that the open sky helps me clear my head._

* * *

Nightshade was spending an afternoon in beast mode, taking some downtime in his quarters, when his door opened.

"Yah!"

"Easy, Nightshade. It's me." Optimus entered, in robot mode.

"That may be the first time on this planet that I've been crept up on."

"I can't take credit for it. You were half-asleep."

"Still am." Nightshade yawned. "So, what brings you here?"

"You've lost track of time, haven't you? Your lunar cycle of probation officially ended this past sunrise."

"Wild. You'll forgive me if I don't show the highest level of enthusiasm." Nightshade yawned again. "That last sparring session took a lot out of me."

"Dinobot or Airazor?"

"Both at once. Heh. No wonder."

"Prime. Now, once and for all, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Nightshade was suddenly wide awake. "You are certain we will not be overheard?"

"You can relax, Nightshade. I've got everyone on scout patrol. Rhinox is the only other person onboard right now, and he'll be kept busy with the com-links, sorting through all the separate reports."

"Still, sound carries through corridors. Door close."

* * *

Thirty cycles later, Cheetor's voice carried bad news to their audio receivers.

"Megatron's setting up a full-force assault!"

"I'm sorry, Nightshade, but I have to deal with this," Optimus said, leaving the room. "All I can tell you right now is to deal with your problem as you need to."

"I will, sir," Nightshade said, following closely.

"Just as soon as I figure out _how_ to deal with it," he added to himself.

* * *

"Where did you see the Predacons, Cheetor?" Optimus asked.

All eight of the Maximals, including Nightshade, were standing on the bridge, looking at the three-dimensional map of the area between the _Axalon_ and Predacon base that glowed above the center of the table.

Cheetor leaned down and pointed at the map. "Right here."

"That's pretty close," Rhinox said, punching up a circular border. "Isolate, and magnify."

The map zoomed in on the space Cheetor had indicated.

"It's also a good place strategically," Dinobot said. "There's not much cover for a spy, and even less for an ambush."

"What exactly were the Predacons doing there?" Nightshade asked. "Were they just loading their weapons, or what?"

"I... I'm not sure," Cheetor said, stunned by the severity in Nightshade's voice.

"Not sure isn't good enough, Little Cat. Search your memory, while it's still fresh."

"Hey, give the kid a break, will ya?" Rattrap asked. "He's had a rough day, and you're not making it any easier."

"'Know yourself, know your adversary, and you hold the key to victory,'" Nightshade quoted. "I can't plan a counter-offensive without an idea of the enemy's attack strategy."

"And what makes you think you can plan a counter-offensive at all? Last I checked, you weren't a command unit."

"Just because I wasn't built for the job, doesn't mean I can't do it."

"That doesn't answer the question."

"Listen, robo-rube," Nightshade retorted. "I've been a counter-strategist for a long time. I've helped bring down my share of Decepticon would-be uprisings, because I know how they think. And I _chose_ not to take active command of the raiding parties."

They glared at each other for a few clicks, their optics shooting daggers. Then Cheetor called Nightshade's attention.

"I remember, Megatron was saying something about a secret weapon," Cheetor said. "I couldn't hear what the weapon was, but judging from what I did hear, it's powerful. Megatron said that when it came into play, the battle could tip either way, depending on how well it worked."

"Okay, that helps, thank you," Nightshade said, his tone softening. "And I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so severe."

"No, you were right. Not sure isn't good enough."

"Okay, that's behind us," Optimus said. "Now, did you see the Predacons building this weapon, or bringing it to that location?"

"Sorry, Big-bot, no," Cheetor replied. "The Preds found me pretty quick, and ran me off. Like Dinobot says, there wasn't much cover. But I get the feeling Megatron let me go, really. Like he was confidant his new weapon would work the way it was supposed to."

"Then he's a fool," Nightshade said. "One should not rely on an untested variable in battle."

"Megatron is many things," Dinobot said. "But he is no one's fool."

"Well, either way, we know little of his weapon, apart from its power--which isn't your fault, Cheetor. You did what you could," Nightshade said, seeing the hurt look on the kid's face. "So, I propose we hit hard, fast, and relentless, forcing him to bring it forward."

"A frontal attack?" Dinobot objected. "Pure madness."

"That may be, but there's no right answer here," Nightshade said. "If we don't draw out Megatron's weapon quickly, we risk giving him a chance to test it, and we _still_ wouldn't know what it was."

"You would have _us_ rely on an untested variable," Rhinox said.

"No choice," Airazor replied. "The sooner we know about this new weapon, the better our chances of surviving it."

"It is the lesser of two evils," Tigatron added. "_Any_ plan is better than _no_ plan."

"Thanks, guys," Nightshade said. "Now, using what I know about each of you, I believe I have a strategy for the attack itself. If you guys will listen to the ramblings of a _young_ old soldier."

"Old soldiers are often the most reliable," Optimus said. "It will be worth hearing."

"All right." Nightshade began to mark starting positions on the map. "We can use these cliffs for cover until we've taken our positions..."

* * *

"You've thought this out well," Optimus said five cycles later, after Nightshade had finished outlining his plan.

"Well, like I said, I've been doing this for awhile," Nightshade said.

"Does anyone have anything to add?" Optimus asked the rest of the Maximals.

No one said anything.

"Then we follow Nightshade's plan. You're all clear on your role in this counter-attack?"

In turn, each of the Maximals rattled off his or her tasks.

"Looks like they know what to do, sir," Nightshade said.

"Prime. You have a megacycle to prepare. We attack at sunset."

* * *

**-End Chapter Nine-**


	10. Betrayal

**-Personal Log: Entry #010-**

_I have spent the past forty cycles telling Rhinox how to get past my ship's firewalls. If I die in the coming battle, he has agreed to send the body back to Cybertron, using _Alpha Seven_ as the coffin. If she's sufficiently recharged, her recall sequence will ensure she arrives at the proper time and place._

* * *

The Maximals were just getting into position, preparing to rush forward when the last rays of the sun vanished beyond the western horizon. Everyone was in beast mode, but ready to transform as soon as the word was given. Only Rattrap and Rhinox were absent, having been instructed to stay behind in case Megatron sent in a sneak attack.

Nightshade caught Dinobot's voice asking him something as the raptor took his place below Optimus, ready to be picked up and carried off.

"Say again?"

"Are you sure this will work?" Dinobot repeated.

"No idea," Nightshade replied. "But it's too late for second guessing myself. We'll just have to hope it does."

"Which doesn't mean we have to win this one," Optimus added. "Remember, the idea is to draw out Megatron's secret weapon, so we can learn about it. Once we know what we need to know, we can fall back and figure out how to fight said weapon."

"Understood." Dinobot made ready for the signal.

"Runners ready?" Optimus asked over the com-link.

"We're ready down here," Cheetor answered. He and Tigatron were hidden in caves at the base of the cliff, so that they wouldn't lose ground as they ran below the fliers.

"Fliers ready?"

"Ready," Nightshade and Airazor said at the same time.

"Fighter ready?"

"I am prepared," Dinobot said.

Optimus began a countdown. "Three, two, one, _MAXIMIZE!_"

What happened next happened very quickly. Cheetor and Tigatron burst out of the caves below, running as fast as their robot feet would take them. Airazor and Nightshade launched themselves off the cliff, taking flight as soon as they hit a favorable starting speed. And Optimus, having watched Dinobot jump as well, fired his jets to maximum burn, catching the warrior before he hit the ground and taking him into the sky.

The six of them stayed together, even when the Predacons saw them coming, and stuck to Nightshade's battle-plan. Between them, Cheetor and Tigatron managed to knock the spiders out of the fight early, before they could do any damage. Airazor spotted Terrorsaur shooting up to meet them in the sky, but a few well-aimed arrows took him out, just like they did the day she had risen from her stasis pod. Optimus made short work of Waspinator with his shoulder cannons, and then let go of Dinobot.

Dinobot, using his spinning shield as a helicopter rotor to slow his descent, fired his eye-beams directly on Megatron. When he judged himself at a low enough altitude, he released his grip on the air, plunging down with his sword right in front of his fellow saurian, and wasting no time in wailing on Megatron with everything he had. As Nightshade had predicted, Megatron was alone in dealing with the threat, because the remaining Predacons were reluctant to fire on their leader.

The Maximals had scattered with the release of Dinobot, and were now fighting their own battles. Nightshade saw that he and Inferno were alone in this corner of the sky.

"This one's for Rattrap, bug!" Nightshade brought forward his panther forelegs and gave Inferno both barrels. The fire ant dodged one shot, took the other, and fell back laughing.

"Fool! Pain is my friend. Allow me to introduce _you_ to it!" Inferno pulled out both of his flamethrower pistols, spun them a few times, and shot several flame pellets, which exploded in Nightshade's face. The force of the blasts knocked the black robot out of the air.

Stunned but relatively undamaged, Nightshade shook his head to clear it, and shot back into the sky, straight at the insect. Hitting Inferno with as close to a shoulder-slam as his wings would allow, Nightshade watched him fly away, laughing like the battle-mad lunatic he was.

When he was certain the fire ant would not come back for more, Nightshade turned his optics back to the main battle. The spiders had revived, and were shooting off their handguns at any Maximal they could see, but they were still slightly disoriented from before, and not a serious threat at the moment. Dinobot was still giving Megatron a good run for his fuel. Airazor was providing cover fire from above, trusting her own judgement as to who needed it. Optimus was on the ground, heading toward the spiders with Cheetor close at his heels.

Then Nightshade saw something that almost inverted his spectrum. Tigatron had somehow gotten his leg trapped under a rock, and Scorponok was taking careful aim.

Transforming to his beast mode, which was faster in a dive, Nightshade swooped down and fired a sonic beam at the boulder, which shattered just as Scorponok fired. Then, using his bat's claws, Nightshade grabbed Tigatron's shoulders and pulled him away from the ground just before the scorpion's missile hit. The explosion, combined with the extra weight of Nightshade's passenger, gave him a bit of turbulence, but he pulled through it.

"Are you okay?" Nightshade asked, once they were at a safe distance.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Tigatron said. "But what are we going to do about the Predacon?"

"Well, I don't know about you, Big Cat, but that's two of my comrades he's threatened, and I'm going to get even." Then he turned and fired another sonic beam, punching a good-sized hole into Scorponok's chest plate, and knocking the arachnid offline.

_It's weird,_ Nightshade thought to himself. _With Megatron's forces so beaten, we outnumber them two to one. We have twice their firepower. We all but have them on the run. Why doesn't Megatron bring out his weapon, when it may very well be his only chance at survival?_

Then something clicked within him.

"Hey," he said cheerfully, rising higher. "How do you like flying?"

"Flying?" Tigatron repeated. "Some day I'd like to try it myself, Black Cat."

"Then permit me to quote a popular phrase from my time," Nightshade said, his voice turning dark. "'_No time like the present!_'"

And with a malicious laugh, he dove at top speed, throwing Tigatron straight at Cheetor. He missed, but the impact knocked Tigatron offline.

Rising back into the air, Nightshade fired off three sonic pulses. Optimus stopped his charge at the spiders when the ground in front of him exploded. Dinobot was knocked into the air, and Megatron swatted him away. Airazor's wing was broken almost in two, and she fell from the sky.

"Hear me, Maximals! For now you shall learn!" Nightshade yelled. "I am proud to serve he who shares the name of my commander!"

"Black Cat, why?" Cheetor asked.

"Because it's who I am!" Nightshade laughed. "And what else would you expect from a Decepticon, built and bred?"

"I thought we could get past that," Optimus said.

"You know, so did I," Nightshade said, his voice dripping with mock regret. "But I guess I just gotta be me!" He fired another sonic pulse at the gorilla-bot's feet, and landed next to Megatron, who chuckled in satisfaction.

"When engaged in psychological battles, it sometimes pays to play more than one card at once," Megatron said. "A spy _is_ a very powerful weapon, Optimus."

Then Optimus Primal heard what would be the final confirmation.

"Activation Code change: Complete."

"Thus I return to my former life, my greater legacy, and my true name!" the new Predacon vowed to the darkness. "_RAVAGE! TERRORIZE!_"

"You two," he said to the spiders, having taken robot form. "Gather the pieces of the insect and the flying saurian. I will collect the third arachnid. We can still salvage them. The ant will return to base when he is ready."

"By what right do you command us?" Tarantulas protested.

"By right of _might,_" Ravage said viciously. "And whenever you're interested in dying, feel free to challenge me for it. I could still go for some shish kebug!"

Tarantulas grumbled to himself, but he and Blackarachnia set about the task. Ravage picked up Scorponok's body, and took flight.

* * *

"Shouldn't we go after them?" Airazor asked, her wing still smoking.

"We can't," Optimus said sadly.

"And why not?" Dinobot asked. "They are weak. It would be the perfect time to attack."

"We've got too many injuries," Optimus replied. "We need to recuperate too. Besides, we got what we came for. We know what Megatron's secret weapon is."

"There's no guarantee this is what it looks like," Cheetor said hopefully, refusing to believe that Nightshade would turn on them. "It might just be a set-up, like it was with Rattrap. Right, Big-bot?"

"I'm sorry, Cheetor," Optimus sighed. "We can keep that possibility open, but I don't know. I don't think I had a part in planning this. If it is a set-up, then it's entirely Nightshade's doing. If not, we now have a very powerful enemy in Ravage."

The four of them watched Ravage fly away, his wings silhouetted against the white moon.

* * *

**-End Chapter Ten-**


	11. Who Am I?

**-Personal Log: Entry #011-**

_It has been three solar cycles since I betrayed the Maximals._

_Blackarachnia suggested a Predacon Challenge to be sure of my loyalty, but none were brave enough to face a beast mode with a weapon like my sonic refractor. With that idea down the drain, I instead removed my virus from the _Darkside_'s computer network. After a lunar cycle of wreaking havoc with their scanners, Megatron was only too happy to have it gone, and welcomed me with open arms, in that cold way that only a Predacon Commander can._

_However, I still have my doubts. And I still wonder about that dream I had, so long ago._

* * *

Ravage was working at the computer, looking for anything that might resolve his self-doubt. He had just found something when Inferno floated up behind him.

"The royalty commands your presence, mutant."

"And I'd give them to him, but I haven't wrapped them yet," Ravage said, without turning around.

From far away, Inferno thought he could hear a set of drums, but quickly shook it off. "I will not have you plotting behind the royalty's ba--"

Ravage turned and grabbed the firebug's throat.

"You got something you want to say to me, Blender-butt?" he asked quietly, thoroughly enjoying choking the insect. "Megatron can wait until I've finished my work."

Ravage released Inferno's throat and punched him in the chest plate with his other hand at the same time, knocking the ant into the wall, offline.

The dark cat clicked a trigger on his torso plate, and it opened to reveal a navy-blue computer-book, with the Autobot insignia on the front. He pulled it out and opened it, pointing it at the computer screen. "Download file."

The hardware on the console shifted slightly, shooting beams of computer data into the book screen. In a few clicks, the console announced that the download was successful. Deciding he'd read it later, Ravage closed the book and returned it to its socket.

* * *

"I do not like to kept waiting, Ravage. No. Do _not_ let it happen again, or I shall tear you limb from mismatched limb."

"I would not have done so in the first place, Megatron, but the fire ant neglected to mention your location," Ravage replied, not in the least intimidated. "Now, do tell. What's so important that it's worth my attention?"

Ravage didn't even have time to blink before he found himself pressed against the wall, with Megatron's tyrannosaur mouth aimed directly at his chest plate.

"Optimus may have accepted you as you are," Megatron growled. "But _I_ will not tolerate such audacity."

"I-I meant no disrespect, sir. I only wondered why you need me specifically."

"Call it a test of loyalty. I have a job for you and Inferno."

* * *

"It is done," Inferno said, pulling the wire taut.

"Yep. Took us long enough, but it's done."

It was now the dead of night. The ivory moon was the only source of light at the moment, throwing deep shadows through the forest. Ravage and Inferno had been setting a trap. Megatron had the idea that if it was triggered, the effect would draw Tigatron out. Ravage knew Megatron was right; no one loved the forest like Tigatron did.

"I don't see why this is so important anyway," Ravage said.

"To do a task in the service of one's queen is an _honor_ and a _gift,_" Inferno replied. "I will return to the colony and inform the royalty. You make sure this thing is ready for the tiger."

"Yes, sir, Major Suck-up, sir."

Inferno fired his afterburners and took off, heading back to base. Ravage made sure he was alone, and then activated his com-link.

"Nightshade to Tigatron."

"I thought you were Ravage now," Tigatron said, and disengaged the link.

Undaunted, Ravage tried again. "Black Cat to Big Cat."

"You dare to use those names, traitor?"

"I thought it might help me get your attention. I need to talk to you."

"I have nothing to say."

"Then say nothing. But I still need you to listen to me."

"Nothing you could say would warrant my ear." Tigatron closed the link again. Ravage was becoming frustrated, but made a third attempt.

"It doesn't matter how many times you call," Tigatron answered immediately. "You threw me at my brother, and I do not forgive treachery so easily."

"Your fury is fully justified," Ravage replied. "And I'm not asking for forgiveness. I ask only that you follow my signal, meet me in person, and hear what I have to say. Your forest is in danger."

* * *

"All right," the tiger said to empty space, ten cycles later. "I'm here. Come out of hiding, Ravage, and speak."

A shadow detached itself from a nearby tree. Ravage extended one of his laser swords, kneeled to the ground, and took hold of the wire that Inferno had placed there.

Tigatron heard only a sharp _twang_ as Ravage cut the wire loose. "What was that?"

"I just disarmed a trap that could have had this whole area up in flames in twenty cycles," Ravage replied. "I wanted to make sure you were here to see it."

Getting up, he extended his other ninjaken, and took a fighting stance. "Now will you please pounce, or something? Inferno could be back at any time."

Transforming, Tigatron pulled out his frost cannon and fired. Ravage jumped aside and responded with a missile, knocking away Tigatron's weapon.

Suddenly finding himself without a gun, Tigatron rushed forward. The two of them tussled over the forest terrain, talking quietly.

"Whose side are you on anyway?" Tigatron demanded, grappling at Ravage's arms.

"My own," Ravage said, trying to bring his blades forward. "But I like you, and I know your love of the wild. Which is why I took this risk talking to you."

"I don't understand."

"It's simple, really. For the moment, at least, I'm just like Dinobot. An _honorable_ Predacon."

"Then it is as Little Cat suspected?"

"Suspected what?"

"That your betrayal was a set-up."

"Did I say that?"

"But you--"

"Still have a job to do." Ravage pushed Tigatron away, retracted his blades, and fired a quasar bolt into the tiger's chest plate. The half-breed transformed to fly away, but seeing the white cat still functional, remained long enough to give a parting word.

* * *

"What took you so long?" Megatron shouted. "I told you not to keep me waiting!"

"I ran into the very Maximal you were hoping to draw out," Ravage replied. "He engaged me in combat almost immediately."

"Why did you not call for reinforcements?"

"It's difficult to activate your com-link in the middle of a tussle. Besides, I knew I could take him. My relative lack of damage should attest to that."

"So where is he?"

"I lost him."

"_What?_"

"He escaped."

"_ESCAPED?_" Megatron bellowed. "_WHY DIDN'T YOU GO AFTER HIM?_"

"Because you told me not to keep you waiting," Ravage said, once his ears had stopped ringing. "Bit of a catch-22, isn't it?"

"Get out," Megatron growled.

"On your word, Commander." Ravage gave a quick salute and left.

* * *

**-End Chapter Eleven-**


	12. Massacre

**-Personal Log: Entry #012-**

_As soon as I made it back to my quarters, I took another look at the file I had downloaded earlier. (See Attached) My intuition has not led me astray; this file holds the answers I have been seeking. All but one._

_It's time to go back._

* * *

"Your former lodgings, correct?" Megatron showed Ravage a hologram of the _Axalon._

"Yeah," Ravage replied. "What about it?"

"I would assume you have knowledge of the weak points in the security system," Megatron explained. "Am I correct?"

"No," Ravage said bluntly. "I wasn't even off probation for a full solar cycle before I formally joined you. Not much time to learn such things. And Rhinox might have put another one in, on top of Sentinel. If he's as good as I've given him credit for, then he's had more than enough time to do so. But I think I can beat it."

"How?"

"With my sonic refractor."

Megatron gave Ravage a blank look.

"The focused scream I shot Scorponok with in beast form."

"Ahhh. A powerful weapon, that one. Yes."

"That's the point. Missiles won't bring down an energy shield so easily, and it would take too long to find the right wavelength for lasers to pierce it. But with the right DJ, sound can destroy anything. Just ask any human parent; all you need is someone who can really crank it up."

"Interesting. And you are certain you could... 'crank it up' enough?"

"With the way my refractor works, easily."

"Explain."

"Any sound I hear can be added to my beast mode's voice. When I'm in beast mode, I can take the combined blunt force of the sound waves I've collected and focus it to a single point. Then I let loose."

"And using your sonic attack, you can bring down their shields?"

"It might take me a couple of tries, but I don't think that'll be a problem."

"What sort of sounds would you need to reach the required magnitude?"

"Any sound will do, if I'm exposed to it long enough," Ravage said.

"Do you have a particular preference?"

"The clang of metal against metal." Ravage smiled. "There's no substitute."

* * *

Optimus and Tigatron were in the forest, in beast mode. The tiger was telling the gorilla the story of the previous night's battle.

"He finished it by shooting me with his panther's eye," Tigatron said, beginning to wrap up the tale.

"He could have scrapped you right there," Optimus observed. "But he let you live."

"More than that; he gave me a message to pass to the Maximals."

"What message?"

"'I've given you first bite.'" Tigatron looked directly at Optimus. "Those were his exact words. What do you think it means?"

"I don't know." Optimus looked at the sky. "I wonder when we'll find out."

* * *

All of the Predacons were standing at a natural formation of rock that served as an arena. Ravage was standing within the ring, waiting while everyone lined up outside it for the fight.

"Our dear Ravage has put forward an open challenge," Megatron was saying. "Simple rules. Any of you who are brave enough may face him in one-on-one, hand to hand combat, until one of you either surrenders, is thrown from the ring, or is rendered offline."

"If I win, another may step forward," Ravage added. "This chain can continue for as long as it takes to exhaust the supply of challengers. Who's first?"

"Waspinator will engage Gargoyle-bot."

Ravage waited until Waspinator stepped into the ring, then rushed forward, took hold of the bee's arm, and spun around to grab the other one from behind. Waspinator barely had time to gasp before he found himself on his knees, with Ravage's foot on his back, pressing down as he pulled back on the insect's arms.

Thrice over, Ravage applied extra pressure, and then released Waspinator's arms. There was a loud _crunch_ as Waspinator's head slammed into the ground.

Ravage kicked the inert robot out of the arena, then turned toward the other five. "Who wants to join the oversized thumbtack?"

Scorponok charged forward, swinging his chelae fiercely. Ravage met him head-on, blocking attacks as they came, but not putting much effort into his own strikes. Then, Scorponok tried to catch Ravage off-guard with a quick sting. Ravage saw the tail swing forward, and he grasped it with both hands.

"Big mistake," Ravage said, tightening his hold. Putting all of his strength into it, he swung Scorponok overhead and threw him to the ground.

"And please," he taunted, "don't get up. You'll only make it worse for yourself."

Taking the words to heart, Scorponok crawled away.

"Meet you in the air!" Terrorsaur said, taking flight. He stopped about two stories up and hovered there, waiting.

"Yeah, good luck with that." Ravage transformed and leaped. When he came down, the saurian was trapped under his claws. "Pre-evolved birdbrain."

Their relative positions made it impossible for Terrorsaur to hit Ravage with his shoulder cannons. So when he felt the beast's breath on his chest plate, Terrorsaur freaked.

"I surrender!"

"Already?" Ravage smiled, showing his fangs. "Giving up, backing down, tapping out, throwing in the towel?"

Terrorsaur screamed at the sight of the huge teeth.

"You're pathetic." Ravage released him. "And here I was, hoping to have a little more fun with you."

* * *

Megatron watched with growing admiration as each of his soldiers fell, one by one, before Ravage's might and fury. Inferno, Terrorsaur, and Tarantulas thought to challenge him again after he had been worn down, and regain their pride. None of them lasted long.

With the exception of Scorponok, who was thoroughly terrified of fighting Ravage a second time, Ravage ended the chain battle as the last one standing, but suffered injuries himself. The most prominent was the heavy shiner he'd sustained in beast mode, which had disabled his left eye.

"I do hope that's enough sound waves to start with, Ravage," Megatron said, surveying his broken and busted warriors. "I don't think we'll be able to do this again anytime soon."

"Yes, it seems I did go a little overboard," Ravage agreed. "Still, trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle."

"Well said." Megatron smiled. "It appears you are prepared for the attack. However, we will have to wait until everyone is restored."

"Then we should begin collecting the pieces, Megatron. The sooner we're all back at full power, the sooner we can blast some Maximals."

* * *

**-End Chapter Twelve-**


	13. Final Battle

**-Personal Log: Entry #013-**

_Due to the limited space in the Restoration Chamber, the repairs on the Predacons took more than two solar cycles to complete._

_The attack is scheduled for dawn. I am to begin by bringing down the shields of the _Axalon._ Once done, Megatron and the others will break cover and strike at the ship itself, along with any Maximals who emerge to defend it._

* * *

The rising sun found Ravage in beast mode outside the _Axalon._

"Optimus Primal!" he shouted. "I would speak with you!"

The reply was swift. "What do you want, Ravage?"

"I have seen my error, and left the Predacons. I come forward to surrender myself to your judgement."

* * *

"What do you think, Maximals?" Optimus asked. "Do we let him back in?"

"Yes," Dinobot replied. "Or better yet, let me out. The traitor must answer for his crimes."

"Don't be so quick to judge him," Cheetor said. "You heard it yourself; he _wants_ to surrender. We should at least hear his case before we blast him."

"No way," Rattrap objected. "He had his chance, and he blew it. I don't trust him."

"_You_ never trusted him in the first place," Airazor pointed out.

"I'll prepare the ballot panel," Rhinox said. "If nothing else, we can use it to decide what to tell him."

* * *

"What's taking so long?" Terrorsaur wondered.

"Why Gargoyle-bot not fire?" Waspinator added.

The Predacons were stationed on the edge of the _Axalon's_ perimeter scanners, protected by a signature-damping device that Blackarachnia had built some time ago.

"We may have to strike without him," Inferno said, sounding impatient.

Megatron was beginning to have his doubts as well, but chose not to voice them yet.

"The Maximals have not yet brought up their shields," he said. "Ravage's role in this attack is to bring them down, and draw out the Maximals. Until he starts to take out the defenses, we hold our position."

* * *

"Okay," Rhinox said, tallying the results. "That's three votes to hear him out, and three to blow him to slag."

"That only leaves Tigatron," Optimus said. "It'll be his vote that decides the matter."

"I'll see if I can get him on the laser link," Cheetor replied.

* * *

Ravage watched as Tigatron approached cautiously, in robot mode. The sun had almost fully risen by now.

"You wanted to talk?" Tigatron asked.

"Actually, no." Ravage fired a sonic pulse at the white cat-bot, barely missing him.

"So much for honor," Tigatron said. He began firing back at Ravage--

Until a laser, from a source clouded by the mists of the dawn, dislodged the ground beneath him and blew him off his feet.

"_ATTACK!_" Megatron yelled.

The Predacons came into view, all guns blazing. In response, the auto-guns on the Axalon began firing back at them. One pulse hit Ravage's flank, leaving a large scorch-mark. Ravage retaliated, disabling both guns with a pair of sonic pulses.

Knowing he was outnumbered and outgunned, Tigatron made a break for the Axalon. Once he was inside, the shields came up immediately.

Ravage stared work on bringing them down, firing volley after volley of sonic beams against the barrier.

* * *

"He played us!" Tigatron said, slamming his fist on the console.

"Hey, calm down, Big Cat," Cheetor said, trying to approach the subject carefully.

"Calm... down?" Tigatron asked. "_He played us all! And we fell for it!_"

Cheetor abruptly changed direction. "Stop it Tigatron. This isn't like you."

"It isn't like me to be fooled twice by the same deception, either!"

"_That's ENOUGH!_" Cheetor punched Tigatron square in the face.

Tigatron fell back, shaking his head violently. "You're right. This isn't getting me anywhere."

The ship shook suddenly, and everyone scrambled to his or her posts.

"So what do we do now?" Cheetor asked.

"With those sonic beams of his, Ravage is doing a number on us by himself," Rhinox said.

"Or he would be, if he _was_ by himself," Airazor added. "But with nothing _else_ to shoot at out there, all of the Preds are helping Ravage knock us loose."

"Shields are doing a major _fade!_" Cheetor was beginning to panic.

"Holey Swiss cheese, we're in for it now," Rattrap said.

* * *

Ravage stopped firing as the shields flickered and phased out, and shouted an ultimatum.

"Come out and face us, Maximals! Or be buried in your own ship!"

In response, the boarding platforms dropped, and the Maximals scattered.

Airazor met Inferno in the sky and the two of them started shooting it out in a demonic dogfight. Optimus engaged Megatron, their many cannons scattering projectiles everywhere. The spiders let loose on Tigatron, and he responded by launching an ice grenade from his arm, trapping them in an arctic pillar.

Desperate to protect his friends, Tigatron turned, firing his quasar pistol at any Predacon he could see. Then a cyber-venom bolt hit him from behind, and he went down. Behind him, Blackarachnia held the smoking gun in her still-free hand.

"Shouldn't take your eyes off a spider," she said. "They tend to be venomous."

"That may be," Rhinox said. He started firing at the base of the ice pillar, his bullets cutting it away until the whole thing fell forward and crushed the arachnids. "But they still squash."

Wasting no time, Rhinox grabbed Tigatron and carried him back to the _Axalon,_ hoping fervently that if the venom was expunged quickly, the fresh fighter might turn the tide.

Unmindful of range, Inferno fired a final projectile. The explosion knocked both him and Airazor out of the air. Neither one was going to get up without help.

Scorponok fired on Cheetor, but was interrupted by a shot from Rattrap. The scorpion stood no chance against both of them.

After Scorponok had fallen, Terrorsaur shot Cheetor from behind with his shoulder cannons. Rattrap turned and shot Terrorsaur out of the air, but too late to save his friend from the onslaught.

Dinobot made short work of Waspinator and looked at Rattrap. Both of them nodded at the same time. Rattrap abandoned the battle to grab Cheetor, while Dinobot took care of Airazor. Between them, the rat and the raptor got the bird and the cat back into the _Axalon_ for repairs.

When the two of them came out, they both approached Ravage.

"I gotta admit, me and Chopper-face ain't always seen eye to eye," Rattrap said.

"But you showed us something we could agree on," Dinobot added.

For the first time since the battle had started, Ravage was scared. And for good reason.

"_WE BOTH! HATE! YOU!_" Dinobot fired his eye-beams while Rattrap shot his handgun as fast as his trigger finger would move. Their anger helped their aim, and Ravage was sure he'd be scrapped right then and there.

Then the Energon radiation interfered with the berserk pair, leaving them with no other choice but to transform to beast mode and face the half-breed tooth to claw.

"Two-on-one is hardly what I'd call honorable, Dinobot," Ravage said, shooting Rattrap away with a sonic beam.

"When two people have the same score to settle, the _only_ honorable thing to do is share." Dinobot spun quickly, slapping Ravage across the face with his tail. "But it now appears I have you all to myself, freak."

"Then let's see what you've learned from our sparring." The two beasts went at each other with insane speed, biting and clawing for all they were worth.

"Airazor's not here to save your hide this time," Ravage taunted, snapping at the raptor's leg.

"Worry about your _own_ hide." Dinobot swung his other leg at Ravage's wing.

For a good fifteen cycles, it was anyone's fight--until Ravage became impatient. He fired another sonic beam, knocking Dinobot off his feet. Then he looked to Megatron and Optimus, just in time to see the gorilla grab the tyrannosaur by his tail and throw him.

Megatron fell five meters away, opened his eyes and looked at the winged cat. "This will be the final test, Ravage," he said. "Let your actions dictate your allegiance. Predacon hero, or Maximal spy? _DESTROY OPTIMUS PRIMAL!_"

Ravage walked forward, shooting wave after wave of sonic beams at the gorilla. When Optimus was weakened enough, Ravage took to the air, coming down straight on the Maximal leader. The two of them crashed to the ground, Ravage looking viciously at Primal from his place on the gorilla's chest.

"Feel the fear grow within you, Primal." Ravage showed his teeth. "You trusted me, and look where it's got you. You are not going to live to see another sunset."

"You don't have to do this," Optimus said calmly. "You have a choice. You're the turning point now."

"And at the point of no return!" Ravage said quietly, looking closer. Was that... pity behind the monkey's eyes? He averted his gaze. "You should have run, when you had the chance."

Sensing Ravage's unease, Optimus pushed further. "It's never too late to change. You should know that better than anyone. All it takes is the moment of decision. Are you Ravage, or are you Nightshade?"

Ravage's processor was suddenly flooded with memories, as his ears echoed with voices that he could not shut out.

"Unknown, state your name, function, and CPU ID--"

"--I'll ask Nightshade to make his case--"

"--Consider my primary function--"

"--Commencing reformatting sequence--"

"--I couldn't really remember what I wanted--"

"--May have done us a great service--"

"--Permit me to speak for myself--"

"--The only thing worse than a Pred is a stinkin' Decepticon--"

"--I've been doing this for awhile--"

"--What else would you expect from a Decepticon--"

"--Whose side are you on anyway--"

"--I can blast some Maximals--"

"--Are you Ravage, or are you Nightshade?"

"Come forward, Megatron!" Ravage shouted. "And transform! You will want to see the look on this monkey's face, with your own eyes, as I strike down the enemy of my commander!"

"Then I guess you've made your choice," Optimus said, as Megatron converted to robot mode.

"Yeah, I have," Ravage replied. He waited until Megatron was right next to him before giving his final epithet. "Rust in pieces."

Breathing deep, Ravage prepared to fire a full-strength sonic beam, one charged with the most powerful sounds from the whole battle.

Then, at the last nano-click, Ravage turned his head. The beam slammed full-force into Megatron's chest plate, lifting him off his feet and throwing him a good nine or ten meters.

"What are you doing?" Optimus asked.

"I'd have thought it was obvious," Ravage replied, getting off of the gorilla's chest and turning toward Megatron. "I'm striking down the enemy of my commander!"

"No one does that to me!" Megatron yelled, getting up.

"Well, correct me if I'm wrong, you saurian son of a slag-sucker," Ravage said. "But I think I just, uh... did."

"You perfidious patchwork _freak!_"

"Are you referring to my current form, or have you discovered my origins too?"

Ravage thumped his chest, and the fatal words hit Megatron's ears.

"Activation Code change: Complete."

"I told you, didn't I? I gave up my old name to make way for my new life! _Maximize!_"

As he had done before, the dark warrior brought forward his guns and pointed all of them at Megatron.

"Then return to your Maximals!" Megatron quickly converted to beast mode. "_If_ they will suffer a traitor like _you_ in their midst!"

"_KISS MY SKID PLATE, MEGATRASH!_" The black bot fired all of his guns at the saurian, and was quite pleased to hear him scream in pain as the impact knocked him two meters into the air.

"_AARRGGHH! BLAST IT ALL!_"

"Perhaps a little late," the dark warrior said belligerently, powering down his weapons. "But that _was_ the general idea."

"Are... are you okay?" Optimus asked, surprised.

"No. No, I'm not," the panther said, looking at the rising sun. "But I will be, eventually."

"You've found your answers, then? I did say you could do what you needed to."

"For the moment, yes. Toward that end, I've done all I can here. But a final task remains, if I'm to finish the job." He turned and offered Optimus a hand, to help him up. "And to answer your earlier question, sir, it's Nightshade."

* * *

**-End Chapter Thirteen-**


	14. Memory

**-Personal Log: Entry #014-**

_Because I spared him, Optimus had me repaired after the rest of the Maximals had come out of restoration._

_It has been a solar cycle since that battle. Optimus has asked me to stand before the Maximals and explain myself, and I will submit to the request. It's high time I told them everything._

* * *

"It's time, Nightshade," Optimus said, unlocking the door. Wordlessly, Nightshade left his quarters and followed the gorilla to the bridge, where all of the Maximals had gathered to hear his story.

Rattrap sprang forward angrily, but Cheetor and Tigatron were able to hold him back.

"Why are you helping the stinkin' Decepticon?" Rattrap asked angrily, struggling against their hands.

"We voted, and majority ruled we hear him out before we judged him," Optimus said.

"Doesn't mean I gotta like it," Rattrap said, but he calmed himself.

"Now," Optimus said, once Rattrap had settled. "Speak your piece, Nightshade."

"Well, to begin at the beginning," Nightshade replied, "I'm not the real Ravage."

"You're not?"

Nightshade shook his head. The Maximals listened well, and his voice painted a scene for them.

* * *

_It was dark when Ravage's optics activated. He could not remember coming here, wherever "here" was. It looked like a torture chamber._

_The thought spurred him into action. Ravage rolled over, surprised that he wasn't strapped down, but not staying to contemplate what that could mean. He had to get out of there before whoever was running this place came back for him. The panther ran, vanishing from sight just as the main door opened._

_

* * *

_

He'd made it. It had taken all of his skills, some improvising, and a good deal of luck to escape, but he'd made it outside. Looking back as he ran, he saw that the place he'd left looked like a simple warehouse, pretty out of the way. Not the sort of place anyone would look twice at, unless they were looking for it.

_No Autobot would even consider a torture chamber; Ravage knew this. Which meant that without the name of the boss there, he couldn't trust any of his old comrades._

_There was only one thing to do. He had the location. He'd take this to the Autobot soldier, Blaster. That guy was a radio, just like Soundwave. If he could get through to Blaster, Ravage might be able to get a message to the current Autobot leader, Rodimus Prime._

_Feeling weak, he stopped at the Energon Pools for a drink, and then ran to the Autobots' primary barracks, the Decagon Citadel._

_

* * *

_

Getting in posed another problem. Ravage couldn't sneak in, not this time. If he was to be trusted long enough to even get past the guards, much less get to Blaster, he'd have to go through the front door. That was going to be hard enough, but to add to the trust issue, he couldn't use his hip-bombs, either.

_How could he make this work? He didn't know. This was the first time he'd had to start from scratch, thinking for himself._

_What the humans called "knocking" was the only thing that came to him. So, in an attempt to compensate for his small size, he backed up a few meters and ran forward, slamming the door full-force with his shoulder._

_As the sound reverberated through the heavy plating, a camera slid out of its slot in the wall and looked at him. He looked back at it, waiting patiently for something else to happen. Two or three cycles later, the camera slid back out of sight, and the door opened._

_Not that Ravage had thought for even a nano-click that it was that easy. And the Autobots did not disappoint; as soon as Ravage entered, four guns were trained on him, held by Kup, Springer, Arcee, and--_

_Blaster. Ravage was surprised to find him here, but did not complain. Instead, he held perfectly still while Rewind and Eject disarmed and removed his bombs. Not that he was being cooperative; he just knew that his explosives had a hair trigger._

_"Waiting isn't your usual style, Ravage," Blaster said, once his robot cassettes had finished their job. "What's shaking?"_

_Knowing he would never get his point across otherwise, Ravage disregarded the guns trained on him and ran erratically across the floor, skidding every now and again on the new polish, but always catching himself with his hind claws. The four Autobots watched him until he stopped for the final time. Then they looked at the floor itself, where Ravage had scratched the Cybertronian symbol for "help" into the metal._

_"Help?" Blaster looked confused. "What with?"_

_Left with insufficient room to inscribe another symbol, Ravage transformed into his tape form._

_"He's got a message for us," Blaster said, picking up the ebony cassette._

_Arcee objected. "Are you sure that's safe?"_

_"If he wanted to hurt us, he wouldn't have let me take his bombs." Blaster slipped the tape into his chest, and transformed._

_"I need your help," the radio said, in a patchwork voice. Ravage had cobbled the message together himself, using bits and pieces of contemporary music. It was a total cut and paste job, the sound was choppy, and no two words were said in the same voice, but it got Ravage's point across._

_"Take me to your leader. I want to speak to him about a matter of great urgency."_

_

* * *

_

Ten megacycles later, Ravage still_ couldn't believe that Rodimus Prime had even taken the time to listen to his message, (such as it was) much less believed it. But he had, and had sent a small pack of Junkions to storm the place._

_When they returned, Ravage could see that the surprises were just beginning._

_"Let's see what's behind door number one," Wreck-Gar said, throwing a shackled Galvatron to the floor. "We have a winner!"_

_"You chose a clever hiding place, Galvatron," Rodimus said from his throne. He'd never called it that, but that's what it was. Ravage was crouched next to the Autobot commander's foot on the elevated platform, where he could watch without being seen. "An abandoned warehouse, within Iacon's city walls, no less, while we were scouring outside for you. Little wonder you eluded us these past few months. We might never have found you, except one of your test subjects escaped."_

_"And knowing you, Prime, he's here now," Galvatron replied scathingly, rising to his knees. "Why not come out where I can see you, Ravage? Yes, it could only be you."_

_Galvatron was without his cannon, and too far below to reach him, so Ravage saw no harm in lifting himself to his feet, in full view of the rogue ex-general._

_"Be proud, Ravage," Galvatron said, looking the metal panther in the optics. "You were the first to survive the process. Although I didn't check your honor."_

What're you talking about?_ Ravage wondered. But without Blaster around, he couldn't ask directly. So he contented himself to growl contemptuously at the fallen Decepticon commander._

_"You scanned my processor, Ravage," Rodimus said. "Escort the prisoner to sub-deck B, and chuck him in a cell. He'll await judgement there."_

_"Satisfaction guaranteed." The Junkions grabbed Galvatron roughly, and dragged him off._

* * *

"Rodimus Prime personally gave me my freedom in exchange for the delivery of Galvatron," Nightshade said. "And Galvatron was later sentenced to life in exile."

"But his final words still echoed in your audio receivers," Rhinox guessed.

"Well, yeah," the black cat said. "What process, exactly? And what did he mean by 'check my honor' anyway? It made no sense. My life had been one despicable act piled on top of another, and I had enjoyed every last one of them. There was no honor there."

"And looking back let you see them for what they were," Optimus said.

"Yeah. It felt like it wasn't even me who had made those memories," Nightshade replied. "Like it was someone else's life entirely. But the playback was still _my_ optics looking at _my_ explosives as they flew at whoever or whatever."

"That why you became an Autobot?" Cheetor asked.

"Yeah," Nightshade said. "A deed, once done, cannot be undone; I knew that. But I thought perhaps my actions could still be mitigated. I was a vigilante for a while, taking down renegade Decepticons on my own, gathering whatever I could use from the wreckage, and boosting my power with it to prepare for the next one. I was caught, of course. Springer found me welding a new missile launcher to my hip, and brought me to Rodimus Prime."

"And again, he showed you mercy," Tigatron said.

"I get the feeling he knew what it was like, wanting to prove yourself. If I needed to hunt down renegades so much, he said, do it proudly, instead of shooting from the shadows. Soon after that, I was rebuilt as an Autobot infiltration unit, complete with an interchangeable insignia panel."

"So why'd you come here?" Cheetor asked.

"Believe it or not, Little Cat, that's partially thanks to you." Nightshade pulled a small circular device from his arm.

"Me? What'd I do?"

Nightshade smiled and pressed a button. A static-filled voice emanated from the machine.

"Cheetor to Optimus. Do you read me?" A short pause, then: "I just heard some kind of explosion. I'm gonna check it out. Talk to you in a cycle." Nightshade turned off the recorder.

"That was from my long-range com-link!" Rhinox said, surprised. "I built the thing from scratch!"

"Yeah, that's the thing about new inventions," Nightshade said. "The primary field tests never quite turn out the way you expected. In this case, long range is a bit of an understatement. After almost forty thousand stellar megacycles of shooting through deep space, that message was received by Blaster on Cybertron."

"Cybertron knew where we were?" Airazor asked.

"To an extent," Nightshade replied. "But the transmission raised a lot of questions. What it boiled down to was this: We had no record of any unit named 'Cheetor,' even though he seemed to know Optimus--or had, at one time. Optimus Prime had been mortally wounded by Megatron roughly three lunar cycles earlier."

"We know that," Rattrap said impatiently.

"Yes, but at the time, we didn't _know_ you knew."

"I'm confused."

"Then shut up," Rhinox said, "and let him tell the story."

"Thank you," Nightshade said. "Now, where was I?"

"Mortally wounded," Dinobot cut in.

"Right. Anyway, from what I'm told, while Blaster was trying to decide how to tell Rodimus, another transmission came through." Nightshade clicked the machine again, letting the recording run its course. "Cheetor to base. I got the gig in hand. Tell Optimus to home in on my signal."

"That was the clincher." Nightshade returned the device to his arm. "The signal remained just long enough for Blaster to get a fix on the system it had come from, then he made his report. Rodimus took it to Perceptor to figure out, thinking that maybe there was something in the older records. Finding nothing, he came to me."

* * *

_Nightshade was quietly reading in his quarters. Rodimus had had the room refurnished to Nightshade's size, which hadn't changed much during the rebuilding process, and the mini-warrior now had a four-story condo to himself, albeit one that was missing two of the outside walls._

_The main door opened. Turning his head, Nightshade saw Rodimus Prime standing there, with Perceptor behind him._

_"I've got a job for you, Nightshade," Rodimus said._

_"With respect, sir, I've already had a rough day," Nightshade replied, setting down his book. "Today's raid took longer than expected, and I'm beat. Can it wait?"_

_"You'll undoubtedly have ample time to recuperate once you initiate the assignment," Perceptor told him, coming forward. "We've received a highly unorthodox communication. Your abilities are required to investigate its origins."_

_Nightshade looked at him strangely. "In a language I can understand, please."_

_Rodimus translated for him. "You'll be able to rest once you've made it into space. A strange message just came in, and I need you to find out where it came from, and learn everything you can about the alien who sent it."_

_"Not that I'm refusing, sir, but surely there must be a larger unit you could call on."_

_"This is true, but we want our... ambassador to appear as unthreatening as possible," Rodimus replied. "So right now, smaller is better. And you have more experience with getting in and out of places quickly than any other Autobot. In short, you're the only one I can rely on for this mission."_

* * *

"There was a problem, though," Nightshade said. "The time period was too different. There was little chance the aliens would still remember the transmission when I arrived. Perceptor had the answer. He'd built a prototype transwarp drive. One that could only support a small ship."

"So they gave you that star-hopper," Cheetor said.

"Full circle, Little Cat. If Perceptor hadn't asked me to test the thing, the _Axalon_ might not have had one later, and you might never have come here. And yet, it's because you're here that Perceptor asked me to test the thing in the first place. And, as a matter of clarification, _Alpha Seven_'s not a star-hopper. She's a class three interplanetary scouter."

"And apparently her transwarp drive worked," Rhinox said. "You wouldn't be here otherwise."

"But why join the Predacons?" Tigatron asked.

"Had to," Nightshade said. "_Alpha Seven_'s transwarp drive was ninety-eight percent depleted when I dropped back into normal space. It needs to be recharged before I can make the return journey. I needed a fresh charger unit, and there were none to be found here."

"And you didn't tell us because you had to keep your cover safe," Optimus said.

"I would've told _you,_ sir," Nightshade replied. "But I hadn't considered looking through the _Darkside_ myself, not until we were in the middle of that fight. Megatron would never have bought the act if I'd dropped Tigatron gently to the ground. Just like everything I've done since, it had to look like I meant it."

"And fighting you that night..." Tigatron gasped in shock.

"I specifically used my quasar bolt, Big Cat." Nightshade smirked. "Didn't you know? They say the first bite is with the eye. In broad terms, presentation is everything."

"So that's what it meant!" Cheetor said. "You were trying to tell us you were still on our side!"

"No, actually," Nightshade said, before the Maximals could get ahead of him. "I jump back and forth as I need to, never truly on any side but my own. I'm an infiltration unit; that's what we do. And it was a risk saying anything that night, because I hadn't finished my job yet."

"All that because you needed a transwarp cell?" Rhinox asked. "Why couldn't you use our engine parts? We've got plenty to spare."

"Your computer software might be ahead of my time, but a ship is a ship," Nightshade said. "Your transwarp drive is too big for _Alpha Seven_'s normal engines. I'd never be able to carry it into orbit."

"I could have rerouted the recharge socket--"

"If it hadn't been completely blown to scrap. And all of your charger units are dead. I imagine you'd eventually find some way past these limitations, but I couldn't afford to wait any longer."

"Well, I hope you _got_ your transwarp cell," Optimus said. "Megatron will never let you back into the _Darkside_ now. Not after you turned on him like that."

"Yeah, I got it." Nightshade thumped his chest, and it opened to reveal two transwarp cells, one on either side of his book. "While the Preds were resting for our attack, I stole into their engine room and made off with these little beauties."

"Hang on a cycle." Rattrap started counting off on his fingers. "You betrayed us, you stole from the Preds, you blasted our defenses to _oblivion,_ and now you're trying to buy us back with some _cockamamie_ story that you're not who we thought you were?"

Nightshade took a moment to consider the question. "Yeah, that's about the shape of it. Except I'm trying to tell you that I'm not who _I_ thought I was."

"Well, call me paranoid if you like, but you've already turned on us once, _and_ admitted that you're not above doing so _again_. How do we know we can trust you?"

"You don't," Nightshade said simply. "That's why it's called 'trust'."

And for once, Rattrap's big mouth remained shut.

"Maybe you're just a cat suffering from an identity crisis," Airazor said. "All you've given us to support your story so far is the word of a mad-bot."

"Which, by itself, wouldn't support one of your neck feathers. I know." Nightshade pulled out his book, and closed his chest plate.

"This contains my mission report," he said, showing them the Autobot insignia. "All the information I've gathered since I landed here is between these covers. There is also the 'Galvatron' file that I downloaded from the Predacons' computer, which contains the investigation report of the warehouse I had escaped from. You can read that yourself, if you like--or, if you prefer, you can read it from your _own_ history files, to be certain that I haven't tampered with it. It reveals two things that I would have found out earlier, had I made different choices."

"Which would be?" Optimus prompted.

"First, the torture chamber that I woke up in had actually been something of an assembly shop. Galvatron had been trying to make copies of his captured soldiers, using pieces of fallen Autobots."

"But why copy Ravage?" Dinobot asked. "He must have wanted his more powerful warriors back, as quickly as possible."

"He didn't have a definite process," Nightshade answered. "And he had limited supplies. Better to start with his smallest troops--Soundwave's cassettes--and find a way to bring them online, before using that perfected procedure on his larger soldiers. I was the first one that he'd successfully activated."

"And second?" Optimus asked.

"Second, Galvatron had no idea what he was actually doing. He hadn't taken the fact that he was using Autobots into account. He thought that once they had fallen, all that was left was scrap. He was wrong. Though he had succeeded in replicating Ravage's physical form and memories, my spark was still that of an Autobot."

"And that's why you felt like you didn't know yourself," Rhinox said. "The difference between your Autobot spark and Ravage's copied memory had caught up with you."

"That's right," Nightshade replied. "And while I couldn't put my finger on it at the time, transforming is probably what triggered it, like you said. In building my beast form, I'd inadvertently recreated that night in Galvatron's chop shop, when I'd first come online. That is, I was me again, but not _entirely_ me, and not a 'me' that anybody would recognize."

"Why didn't you mention this in our discussion, Rhinox?" Optimus asked. "It was Nightshade who led Rodimus Prime to that warehouse. The investigation report should have been in his file as well."

"I read the whole thing back to front the night before, Optimus," Rhinox said. "There was nothing like that there."

"Because Rodimus Prime was trying to help Nightshade," Tigatron said, turning to the dark cat. "And he thought the best way to do that was to stop you from learning the truth. But just like our programming blocks, that has proven to be a grave error."

"One that I fully intend to confront him with when I get back," Nightshade replied.

"Are you sure that's wise?"

"Rodimus Prime might think his deception was noble," Nightshade said. "He might even be right. But now that I know the truth, it's that much harder not to take it to heart. No, I'm not sure it's wise. But it's something I have to do, regardless. It's like _you_ said, Big Cat. I'll never be at peace with myself--or with him, for that matter--if I don't say something about it."

* * *

**-End Chapter Fourteen-**


	15. Departure

**-Personal Log: Entry #015-**

_After I made my case, majority vote ruled that I should return to Cybertron immediately, before my departure is interrupted by freshly repaired Predacons looking for revenge. I have pulled_ Alpha Seven_ out of hiding and charged my transwarp drive. All that remains is to make a few adjustments, and load everything up._

* * *

"What are you going to do about your mission?" Optimus asked. He and Rhinox were watching Nightshade prepare for his return journey.

"I will give Rodimus Prime my report, as I was told to do," Nightshade said, carrying some posters that he'd brought with him into his scouter. His voice floated back out through the open hatch as the Maximals watched him through the rear window, putting the posters up in the pilot's quarters. "I'll let him take it from there. I suspect he will make use of general expectations. If I am correct, the public report will be that when I got here, the aliens from the past were nowhere to be found."

"You're letting him take the floor," Rhinox said. "Clever."

"And at the same time, learning from his mistakes." Nightshade came out to grab the last armload. "The public will have some closure. They'll be disappointed, but not surprised. Some of them will wonder how much effort I actually put into searching, but otherwise, the whole thing will fade quietly into the background."

The Maximals waited while Nightshade disappeared into the _Axalon._ When he came out, he was carrying his radio, and the freshly charged transwarp drive. Placing the radio on the table in the pilot's quarters, Nightshade took the transwarp drive into the bridge.

"Need any help with that?" Rhinox asked, entering _Alpha Seven_ in time to watch Nightshade crawl below the navigation console.

"Yeah," Nightshade stuck his hand out from under the console. "Could you slip me an electron torch? You'll find one hanging on the wall over there."

No sooner had he said it than the torch was between his fingers. Taking a square sheet of metal from beside him, Nightshade used the torch to cut a moderately sized circle though the center of it. Reaching into a hole in the floor, he pulled out some loose wires and threaded them through the metal. "Auto-wrench, please."

Making sure none of the wires fell back through the circle, Nightshade used the auto-wrench to bolt the corners of the sheet to the edges of the hole in the floor, and then returned the tools. "Transwarp drive."

Rhinox returned the tools to their pouch on the wall and passed the box to Nightshade's waiting hand. Nightshade connected the loose ends of the wires to the back of the transwarp drive, locking them in place.

"And that's it." He started to get up, promptly hitting the back of his head on the underside of the console. "Ow."

* * *

Five cycles later, all of the Maximals had lined up outside _Alpha Seven_ to say their final farewells to the explorer. Nightshade was just inside the hatch, looking out at his comrades.

"Thanks for your help, Horn-head."

"No problem," Rhinox said.

"Keep running that maze, Rat-face."

"You just worry about what'll happen when I meet you at the exit," Rattrap said.

"So long, Speedy."

"Not too long, I hope," Cheetor replied.

"Bye-bye, Big Ape."

"Good luck with Rodimus," Optimus said.

"Another time, Tiger."

"Quite literally," Tigatron replied.

"Fly strong, Feathers."

"You too," Airazor said.

"And Fangs--"

"Don't waste your sentiment on me," the irascible raptor said, firing his eye-beams.

Nightshade flinched as the dual laser hit his shoulder, leaving a small burn. "I wasn't going to," he said, massaging the wound. "I was just going to tell you that this was your chance to get even for me knocking you flat." He let his hand drop. "But apparently, you already knew that."

"Naturally," Dinobot said, smiling.

Nightshade saluted, and each of the Maximals returned the gesture.

As the hatch closed, Nightshade's voice gave a final, "Till all are one." The beast warriors watched as the craft rose into the air, slowly picking up speed.

* * *

"He shot me!" Megatron said, as he emerged from the CR Tank. "He called me forward, playing me against myself, and shot me in the chest plate!"

"You okay, Megatron?" Scorponok asked.

"Such treachery. Such sheer ruthlessness. Such disregard for honor!" The saurian smiled. "I rather like this Nightshade."

* * *

"You think we'll ever see him again?" Cheetor asked, as the _Alpha Seven_ vanished from sight.

"No," Tigatron told him.

"Why not?"

"His past is a shattered illusion, and his present purpose is fulfilled. There is nothing left of him to see." Tigatron sighed. "He may or may not return to us in the future, but he needs time to see himself with new eyes. The Nightshade we knew is gone forever."

"In more ways than one," Rhinox added. "I took another look at Nightshade's file earlier. He was reported as 'D.I.A.' five or six lunar cycles after he returned to Cybertron."

"Died in action?" Cheetor asked. "How?"

"You sure you're ready for this? Five solar cycles after Nightshade was due to return from a solo mission to Earth, Perceptor found him scattered over a mountain in two hundred separate pieces."

"But faked deaths grow steadily more elaborate as time goes by," Dinobot cut in. "And they are very popular among those who, for whatever reason, wish to break away quietly, and begin a new life."

"If that's the case," Airazor said, "then there might still be a chance."

"Maybe," Optimus replied. "I certainly hope so."

"Let the trails lead where they may," Tigatron added. "We must follow."

"Who was that dark stranger?" Rattrap joked.

The other Maximals looked at him irritably.

"I know, I know. 'Shut up, Rattrap.'"

* * *

**-End Chapter Fifteen-**


	16. Epilogue

**-Personal Log: Entry #016-**

_I have returned. My chrono-tracker tells me that I have returned to a period in time only three solar cycles after I left. I don't know, somehow that almost makes it seem like I imagined the whole thing._

_Oh, well. I got what I came for, and more. Time to give my report._

* * *

There was a knock at the door.

"Yes?" Rodimus Prime said, looking up from his desk.

"It's Nightshade, sir. I'm back from my mission."

Rodimus keyed in the access code for the door, and it opened. Nightshade flew quickly up to the front of the desk.

"That was fast," Rodimus said. "You haven't been gone long."

"On _your_ end, maybe," Nightshade replied. "With time travel, it's easy to return quickly. Not counting the time it took to find the place, I was there for five solar megacycles."

"You look different."

"My physical form is still regulation."

"Well, there's that, but..." Rodimus activated the zoom function in his optics. "There's something different about the way you carry yourself."

"Perhaps it's because I can finally talk to you face-to-face, without the aid of a hover platform," Nightshade pointed out.

"Perhaps," Rodimus said, still feeling like something was different. "Maybe it's just me, but it also seems strange that you would look different physically, considering the fact that I forgot to have your scouter equipped with an environmental scanner."

"What can I say? Time does strange things to people."

"Well, it looks good on you, in any case." Rodimus returned his optics to 20/20. "You have the report?"

"Got it right here." Nightshade pulled out his mission log and dropped it into the Autobot commander's large hand. "There's something else in there that you'll want to know about."

Rodimus slipped the book into a socket in his head, and his optics flickered as he downloaded its contents into his memory. Nightshade watched as Rodimus raised first one iron eyebrow, then both. Then, to the small spy's confusion, his commander _smiled._

"I was wondering when you were going to find that," Rodimus said.

"Excuse me. What?"

"Even though I had that investigation report removed from public records, I suppose I always knew it was only a matter of time before you did find it," the Autobot leader continued. "But I never suspected you would go _through_ time to discover it."

"What are you saying?"

"There's no end to the irony, is there? You were looking for aliens from the past. The people you found instead helped you learn of your own past, and open the door to your future--speaking metaphorically, that is."

"All this time?" Nightshade asked angrily. "You knew all this time and you never trusted me enough to tell me?"

"It wasn't about trust," Rodimus said, ejecting and returning the book.

"Then what was it about?"

Rodimus smiled again, waiting until the book was safely back in its socket before he responded. "It was about earning your answers."

"_Why you..._"

"Dismissed."

"**_YOU BIG..._**"

"You... have something else to say?"

Nightshade calmed down just enough to find his voice box. "A word has yet to be invented to describe how... whatever it is you are. But you are one, and a total one at that." He turned to leave, but stopped at Rodimus Prime's next words.

"Are you implying that while speaking to our descendants, you found such a word?"

Nightshade considered the thought, and realized he did have one. "You're a complete and total motorhead."

Leaving behind a chuckling Rodimus Prime, Nightshade flew back to his quarters.

* * *

**-The End-**


End file.
